Genesis Invitational prime for a great week

February 18, 2022

Pacific Palisades, CA – Genesis Invitational teeing off with a great first day seeing the morning groups take off with low scores like rabbits. The sunny skies with a slight breeze played even more perfect for the second wave of golfers to score just as low.

Joaquin Niemann stands on top of the leaderboard with 63 (-8) which ties for lowest opening rounds score here at the Genesis. He took advantage of all three par 5 by birding them having 9 birdies during his open round.

Artist Jonas Never working on 10th fairway. Photo by Jevone Moore

“I hit the ball great off the tee. My iron play, I was hitting it really close so that makes it a lot easier,” said Niemann “I think it’s got to be one of my best days on the golf course, especially in a place like this with this history.”

The Genesis Invitational defending champion and San Fernando Valley native Max Homa, World No. 9 Scottie Scheffler, World No. 14 Jordan Spieth and Cameron Young (T2; 5-under 66), and World No. 2 Collin Morikawa, World No. 8 Justin Thomas and C.T. Pan (T6; 4-under 67).

Jordan Spieth on 4th tee. Photo by Jevone Moore

Spieth is no stranger to being at the top of the leaderboards. Will this be the week that he makes a move to hoist a trophy again. During his opening round the back nine is where did most of his scoring with 5 birdies.

“I was able to kind of putt pretty confidently from there. I’ve been striking the ball really well,” said Spieth, “I feel like I can hit any shot if it
presents itself fearlessly.”

The great weather should allow for both groups morning and afternoon to take aim at few flags to score low. The par 5’s here at Riviera are great holes to take advantage of.

Tournament host Tiger Woods will be lurking in the shadows viewing this golf making a Tiger sighting a fan surprise.

“The golf course is in perfect shape. The course superintendent has done a fantastic job of getting this thing just right,” said Tiger.

Aaron Beverly on 13th fairway. Photo by Jevone Moore

This year Charlie Sifford Memorial exemption recipient Aaron Beverly teed off on first tee 100! Beverly living a dream being able to swing his clubs on tour this week. After his first 7 holes it was just a normal day being (-1) under before the nerves took over with a 8 stroke swing on the 8th.

Charlie Sifford would have turned 100. The tournament’s has a history of supporting diversity in the game and this week they’re honoring Charlie with the 100 designation on the first hole.

Now lets see who will be the leader after 36 holes…

Jaylen Clark Leads UCLA Past Washington State 76-56

Brianne Ingram

February 17, 2022

Westwood, CA – It was the Jaylen Clark show on Thursday night as he led the UCLA Bruins (18-5, 10-4 Pac-12) over the Washington State Cougars (14-11, 7-7 Pac-12) to a staggering 20-point 76-56 victory.

Clark was the spark that jump started the Bruin’s offense.

He scored seven of UCLA’s first 12 points in the first half as the Bruins led 12-2 at the 16:20 mark.

Out of UCLA’s first 26 points, Clark also either scored or assisted on 22 of those points.

Clark put up a double-double and stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, four steals, and zero turnovers on 68% FG shooting.

“This season in general I’ve had a lot of head injuries and concussions that kept me going in and going out. So, I’m finally starting to find my stride that I had in the offseason. I’ve been practicing great all week. The hard work in the dark is showing up in the light now,” said Clark.

Tyger Campbell was suspended for the game due to a violation of team rules. It is reported that he will play on Saturday against Washington.

“It was one game. Obviously for three years he’s been awesome. I love him dearly. But if you have rules and you don’t enforce them, then you don’t have rules. It’s pretty simple,” said UCLA head coach Mick Cronin.

Jaylen Clark, who usually comes off of the bench, slid into the starting five with Campbell out.

Washington State starting guard Michael Flowers, who has scored 20+ points over the last five games, was held to just three points for the game.

“I was guarding Flowers who is a high-level scorer in the Pac-12,” said Clark. “He’s made some of the most threes in the Pac-12, so I was just really focused on shutting him down and letting the offense decide to take care of itself. I’m an unselfish player. I know I’m going to find my team and get to the gaps, and they allowed me to play my game tonight.”

The Bruins hit 10 threes and went 50% (10-20 3-PT) from beyond the arc.

“It’s hard to win when the ball never goes in, so it’s nice to finally knock down some three pointers. I thought tonight our guys all got lost in the game. Trying to focus on their hustle, their toughness, and their defense. To me that’s why the ball went in,” said coach Cronin.

UCLA has won eight of the past 11 games against Washington State since the start of the 2014-15 season.

The Bruins take on the Washington Huskies at home on Saturday, February 19 at 7 p.m.

Kraken trounced by Maple Leafs in 6-2 loss

Charles Hamaker

February 14, 2022

NelsonAaron_Seattle_Toronto_2_14_2022-1 — Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – The Seattle Kraken fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Valentine’s Day, 2022 by a score of 6-2. The main story of the game would be special teams, as four of the game’s goals would come from power plays. Toronto currently has the best power play in the NHL, so Seattle making those mistakes and giving those penalties up is a discipline blunder. The Kraken would pull starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer after the Maple Leafs scored three goals in the opening period.

Special teams play dominated the storyline of this game. Three goals came on power plays and another coming by way of a shorthanded goal. Unfortunately, Seattle was on the wrong side of three of those goals. The power play goal that Seattle did get, scored by Jared McCann, would bring Seattle’s power play conversion rate to three for their last 40. Seattle’s penalty kill sits at 76.03% for the season, and 56% since the January 27th overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Once again, this season, a major issue for the Kraken is special teams play. Head coach Dave Hakstol would speak on the power play in the post-game press conference.

“We couldn’t get a whole lot going on our power play. It was nice that we got one finally, at the end. Hopefully that gives us a little bit of momentum, loosens us up a bit because, we looked tight on the power play… the positive out of the power play is that we got one at the end and hope we can turn that over to something that loosens us up and gets us going in the right direction,” Hakstol remarked.

I asked Hakstol if there was anything in particular that he wanted to see from the power play over these next few games, or if he wanted the team to just play a little looser. Here is what he said

“Up to tonight, we’ve generated real good opportunities. You can go back and look at the power plays and the opportunities that have been generated; the puck just hasn’t gone in the net. Tonight, that wasn’t the case, especially early on. We just gotta get back to it, we’ll touch on it in practice and get back to it. It’s an area at this time of year where teams can dictate games. Tonight, we lost that battle.”

One of the few bright spots for Seattle would be Calle Jarnkrok’s goal, which put the Kraken on the board in the opening period. Toronto was looking to dump the puck back into their red line, but the pass ended up in no man’s land. Mason Appleton would pick it up, finding Calle Jarnkrok for the one timer that would beat Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell. With that goal, Jarnkrok would extend his points streak to three games.

Another of the few positive notes would be Jared McCann’s power play goal, which would put his season total at 20. That number is McCann’s career high for a season, coming with 33 games left to play in the season. McCann leads the team in goals and points, and has been the new offensive leader since teammate Jordan Eberle has gone relatively quiet in the last few months. McCann would speak on the accomplishment post game.

“It’s obviously very special, this is something that I have worked very hard for, especially in the summer time. It’s always been a dream to

be in the NHL, so I’m just trying to take advantage of it,” McCann would state.

Seattle made some bad mistakes against a good team. When that happens, it’s a recipe for a frustrating loss like tonight. Giving up penalties to the league’s best power play, when your penalty kill is hovering around the 50% mark for the last few weeks, is unacceptable. Being able to count the number of successful power plays in your last 40, is unacceptable. These are mistakes and growing pains that will come with an expansion side. It would just be more encouraging to see these mistakes corrected as we head into the final months of this inaugural season.

The Kraken’s next opponent is the Winnipeg Jets, who they will play in Winnipeg on February 17th, with a 5PM PST puck drop.

Hollywood Ending

Christopher Floch

February 14, 2022

0K8A6957 — Kupp Super Bowl MVP (Photo by Jevone Moore)

INGLEWOOD- Trailing 20-16 late in the 4th quarter of Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, February 13, the Los Angeles Rams drove 79 yards down the field culminating in the 1-yard TD reception by wide receiver Cooper Kup with just one minute and twenty five seconds left in this thrilling contest.

The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20 in a thrilling Super Bowl victory for the ages. This marks the Rams second Super Bowl, more important, it is the Los Angeles Rams first Super Bowl victory!

Kupp was named Super Bowl MVP, hauling in eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdown receptions. Barely edging out Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who was spectacular with two key sacks. Donald is the greatest defensive player of this generation; as the Rams began celebrating their impending victory Donald made a grand gesture tapping on his ring finger, signaling the final memento of a shiny Super Bowl ring.

Redemption and legacy have been the two themes of the Rams, General Manager Les Snead moved heaven and earth to get the right guys in the building. Taking several gambles along the way, including trading away several draft picks for veterans like Stafford and picking up linebacker Von Miller and receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

After jumping out to a 13-3 lead the Rams found themselves down 17-13 after a 75 yard touchdown throw from Joe Burrow to Tee Higgins. The controversial play appeared to show Higgins face mask and throw Jalen Ramsey to the ground. However, on this first play of the third quarter no penalty was called.

“I can’t say enough about the resilience of this team,” coach Sean McVay said. “Guys stepping up when they had to … That’s why we’re world champs, because our best players stepped up in the most crucial and critical moments.” At just 36 years old, McVay becomes the youngest head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl.

On the next play, Stafford threw his second interception of the game. Thankfully, the Rams D held firm, holding the Bengals to a field goal, giving Cincinnati a 20-13 lead. A horrible start for the Rams final half of their season, but the Bengals would score no more points on the evening.

You don’t have a successful receiver without all the other guys doing their job so each of those guys who has stepped on the field, I am so incredibly thankful for them.” said Kupp

California, it’s time to party. You know how to do it.

Isabel Gonzalez

February 13, 2022

0K8A6786 — Photo by Jevone Moore / Full Image 360

The Los Angeles Rams are Super Bowl LVI champions after a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

An announced attendance of 70,048 was at SoFi Stadium to witness this event. The last time the Rams lifted the Super Bowl trophy was in 1999, but they represented St. Louis at the time.

Sunday’s game came down to a 79-yard drive and a 1-yard touchdown reception by Los Angeles wide receiver Cooper Kupp with 1:25 left on the clock. That was still enough time for Joe Burrow and the Bengals to do something, but Rams’ defensive end Aaron Donald showed why he is one of the greatest.

“I just want to achieve my job to the best of my ability,” said Kupp “I trust that as the game goes on I will have opportunities as well and I just want to stay ready for those things and stay locked in.”

Donald, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, sacked Burrow to end the game. This was almost too perfectly scripted, as Donald is the owner of the single-season sack record for a defensive tackle and Burrow is the quarterback who has been sacked the most this season.

“We had made a third-down stop. Fourth down, I thought they would run,” said Donald, “Found a way to get the chop-club and bend the edge and found a way to get to the quarterback and make him threw an errand pass.”

Kupp, who caught two touchdowns, was named Most Valuable Player at the end of the night. His performance became even more important after receiver Odell Beckham Jr. suffered a left knee injury in the second quarter. This was the same knee in which he tore his ACL in 2020 when he played for the Cleveland Browns.

Even though Beckham Jr. was forced to leave the field early, he did get the opportunity to contribute. He registered the first touchdown of the game by catching a 17-yard pass from Matthew Stafford.

Stafford led the winning offense with 283 yards and three touchdowns on 26-of-40 passing. He waited 13 years for a Super Bowl title. A long time, but not quite as long as veteran tackle Andrew Whitworth who waited 16 years.

Sports have been fun in Los Angeles, as the city has seen the NBA, World Series and now an NFL title in the last 16 months. Not to mention UCLA taking the Gonzaga Bulldogs to the wire in a Final Four game last season.

USC Delivers Statement Win Against UCLA 67-64

Brianne Ingram

February 13, 2022

Los Angeles, CA – The No. 21 USC Trojans (21-4, 10-4 Pac-12) came out ready for war in their crosstown rivalry against the No. 12 UCLA Bruins (17-5, 9-4 Pac-12) and delivered a statement win 67-64 on Saturday night.

“That was a terrific college basketball game,” said USC head coach Andy Enfield. “UCLA is so hard to guard. I thought our defense was outstanding to hold them to 30%.”

USC starting forward Isaiah Mobley was ruled out with a nose fracture.

“Our players played with a lot of heart, a lot of toughness, and without our best player. We didn’t find out Isaiah wasn’t playing until this afternoon. We feel very badly for him because he wanted to be out there with his teammates in this atmosphere. We had just a tremendous crowd. I think that’s why we were able to pull it out in the second half. They gave us tremendous energy,” said Enfield.

A transition layup scored by Max Agbonkpolo gave the Trojans a five-point lead 67-62 with five seconds left at the end of the game.

UCLA’s Johnny Juzang was fouled and knocked down both free throws to cut the lead to three 67-64 with two seconds remaining.

USC’s Chevez Goodwin inbounded the ball and tried to throw a cross court pass, but it was short and fell into the hands of Tyger Campbell.

Campbell launched a three to tie it and send it into overtime, but it was off the back of the iron.

USC was able to take a deep sigh of relief as the sold-out crowd of Trojan fans stormed the court in excitement.

“I will say I’ll never let Chevez inbound the ball at the end of a game again. He says he’s a football player, well he was about 30 yards off on that one. He was supposed to go deep, and he couldn’t even get it to half court. Luckily the shot didn’t go in, but one play doesn’t decide the game. Our players played with grit the whole game,” said coach Enfield.

Campbell scored a team high 27 points, while Johnny Juzang was held to 12 points.

Boogie Ellis struggled all night and went scoreless for the game.

At halftime USC’s Ellis, and UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and David Singleton were all scoreless.

It was a block party for USC. They had 6 blocks in the first half and 10 blocks total, compared to UCLA’s one block.

USC guard Drew Peterson dropped a career-high 27 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and five blocks.

“One of my things this year was really to improve my defense,” said Peterson. “Thankfully I was able to time a few of those pretty right and guard Juzang pretty well, so it was awesome.”

It was a close game as USC led at the half 33-31.

In the second half, a momentum swing swung in the Bruins favor with a transition layup by Jaylen Clark to put the Bruins up by four 45-41 at the 12:28 mark, but the Trojans refused to back down to the Bruins.

USC went on a run to regain the lead 54-48 with 6:48 left and never looked back.

UCLA shot 30.2% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range. USC shot 43.6% from the field and shot 44.4% from the three.

This win marks five straight victories for USC over UCLA.

Coach Enfield discussed the character of his team.

“This game meant a lot to our players. They knew it was an important game in the Pac-12 standings and in the national standings and it’s a crosstown rivalry. They also knew that we had never beaten UCLA five times in a row. So, this was a big game for us. I cannot be more proud of these young men because of the effort and they had a lot of grit today. We didn’t play the perfect game, but we played very hard and very tough,” said Enfield.

USC alums Nick Young and Matt Barkely were in attendance.

Current Trojan wide receiver Drake London also made an appearance.

USC hosts Washington next Thursday, Feb. 17 at 8:30 pm.

The rematch of USC vs. UCLA will be the season closer and will take place at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, March 5 at 7 p.m.

Kraken fall to Coyotes in disappointing showing

Charles Hamaker

February 9, 2022

NelsonAaron_Seattle_Arizona_2_9_2022-2 — Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – Coming off of the All-star break, the Seattle Kraken would fall to the second to worst team in the league, the Arizona Coyotes. The Kraken would put plenty of shots on goal, but Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka would have an incredible game between the pipes. With the 5-2 win, the Coyotes would take the season series over Seattle.

It would be the same old defensive story that we have grown used to with Seattle, as the Kraken had turnovers to blame as the cause of the first two Arizona goals. Consistent puck control has been an issue for the Kraken, and it would be no different in this contest as the inability to clear the puck or make a connecting pass would result in Arizona getting on the board. This is one of a few issues that for some reason, Seattle cannot overcome. Whether that is on coaching or the players, is to be seen over the remainder of the season. Head coach Dave Hakstol would talk about his defense after the loss.

“In reality, each of the three goals tonight, we were not sharp and clean with the puck. In reality, each of their three goals came off of our stick, one off of an entry two off of breakouts and exits out of our zone… The rust showed. We’re not making an excuse. When we’re sharp with the puck, we don’t have to defend as much,” Hakstol would remark.

Another major issue for the Kraken, in this game and in the last few games, would be Seattle’s power play. The Kraken are two for their last 35 on the power play, which is similar to the issues that the team had earlier in the year on special teams. Take that information into account, and then add that the Coyotes have the second worst penalty kill in the league. The same bad habits, back to bite Seattle. Head coach Dave Hakstol would speak on his team’s power play performance as of late.

“We had several good looks on our powerplays, I was happy with the amount of opportunities that we generated… We need one to go on our power play to give us a jump start. For our power play to really get going and feeling good. That would have been a great opportunity tonight to get one, but we could not find the back of the net,” Hakstol would state.

Lastly, this game would be closer than the final score would show. The Coyotes were able to get two open net goals as the Kraken pulled Seattle goaltender Philipp Grubauer in an effort to try to tie the game up, as the score was 3-2 in favor of Arizona with a little over four minutes to play in the final period. Seattle’s effort and constant fight are definitely something that they should be given credit for, considering that ten of the team’s losses have come by one goal. There is hope for this team yet in the remainder of the season to try and fully turn things around, but adjustments need to be made on issues that have hung around the Kraken.

Seattle’s next contest comes on Friday, February on the road against the Anaheim Ducks with a 7PM PST puck drop.

Clash at the Coliseum 2022

Otis Hollins

February 7, 2022

NASCAR @ the Coliseum 2-6-22 (2834) — Photo by William Johnson

Los Angeles, CA – This is the very first time that NASCAR has had an event in the middle of a small town called South Central Los Angeles in the Memorial Coliseum. I strongly believe that NASCAR has found another supportive fan base.

The entertainment provided by Pit Bull and Ice Cube was 2nd to none clearly entertaining the Fans which also allowed the fans attending the NASCAR event to further enjoy there day with some good music and some good ole NASCAR racing.

Ladies and gentlemen, today is a nice sunny California Sunday here at the Los Angeles Coliseum, no we’re not here for a football game, we are here for the inaugural NASCAR Clash At The Coliseum where a field of 23 cars is competing to win the inaugural Clash at the coliseum 2022 title, however there will only be 1 winner.

Based on pre qualifying Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Brad Kieslowski failed to qualify to move on to the main event.

Failed to qualify heat#1 (13) 43 Erik Jones, 78 BJ McLeod, 14 Chase Briscoe, 17 Chris Buescher, 15 Ryan Preece, 38 Todd Gilliland #, 6 Brad Keselowski, 7 Corey LaJoie, 45 Kurt Busch, 1 Ross Chastain, 19 Martin Truex Jr., 51 Cody Ware, 42 Ty Dillon.

Failed to qualify Heat#2 (13) 43 Erik Jones, 78 BJ McLeod, 14 Chase Briscoe, 17 Chris Buescher, 15 Ryan Preece, 38 Todd Gilliland #, 6 Brad Keselowski, 7 Corey LaJoie, 45 Kurt Busch, 1 Ross Chastain, 19 Martin Truex Jr., 51 Cody Ware, 42 Ty Dillon.

Failed to qualify Heat #3 (13) 43 Erik Jones, 78 BJ McLeod, 14 Chase Briscoe, 17 Chris Buescher, 15 Ryan Preece, 38 Todd Gilliland #, 6 Brad Keselowski, 7 Corey LaJoie, 45 Kurt Busch, 1 Ross Chastain, 19 Martin Truex Jr., 51 Cody Ware, 42 Ty Dillon.

Failed to qualify Heat# 4 (13) 43 Erik Jones, 78 BJ McLeod, 14 Chase Briscoe, 17 Chris Buescher, 15 Ryan Preece, 38 Todd Gilliland #, 6 Brad Keselowski, 7 Corey LaJoie, 45 Kurt Busch, 1 Ross Chastain, 19 Martin Truex Jr., 51 Cody Ware, 42 Ty Dillon.

The lead changed 5 times during the 150 lap race. The race had been lead by Tyler Reddick for 51 laps until he experienced mechanical issues.

Joey Logano continued on in the race to win the inaugural Clash at the Coliseum 2022.

Super Bowl LVI Experience at the Los Angeles Convention Center

Brianne Ingram

February 5, 2022

Los Angeles, CA – The National Football League is set to showcase the ultimate fan Super Bowl LVI Experience with festivities and NFL player appearances at the Los Angeles Convention Center Saturday, Feb. 5 at 1 p.m.

“We haven’t been here since 1993 so we are excited to be here. We are excited to preview the Super Bowl Experience which is the interactive football festival for fans of all ages,” said Nicki Ewell, Senior Director of Events for the NFL.

The festivities range from player autographs, photo opportunities with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, interactive games, sponsor displays, giveaways, clinics, and the NFL Shop.

“We will certainly have players from various teams from around the league, legends, and hall of famers making appearances,” said Ewell.

Super Bowl XXXIV Champion and legendary Ram Torry Holt will debut the Lombardi trophy on Saturday, Feb. 5.

The full collection of the 55 Super Bowl rings will be on display.

Fans have the chance to race in the 40-yard dash, test their skills with a field goal kick, drop back a pass in the Two-minute Drill, stop by NFL Training Camp and much more.

“There’s certainly something for everybody. Games, clinics, merch, Instagrammable moments. We’re excited to welcome you,” said Ewell.

The NFL OnePass App is required for entry. The app has the list of all player appearances attending the event. Fans who download and register for the app will also be entered for a chance to win two tickets to Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, Feb. 13.

Tickets are $20 this weekend Saturday, Feb. 5 and Sunday, Feb. 6 for adults 13 and over. Tickets will then increase to $40 Thursday, Feb. 10 – Saturday, Feb. 12 for adults 13 and over.

Children 12 and under can attend for free every day.

“In LA County, we are excited to welcome you this weekend,” said Ewell. “This is your weekend to come if you are an Angeleno.”

UCLA Defeats Stanford 66-43 for Sixth Straight Win

Brianne Ingram

January 30, 2022

Westwood, CA – The UCLA Bruins (16-2, 8-1 Pac-12) were in the driver’s seat all game to take home the landslide 66-43 victory against the Stanford Cardinal (12-7, 5-4 Pac-12) for their sixth straight win on Saturday night.

Not one Stanford player shot in double figures.

UCLA held Stanford to just 18 points in the first half, 37-18.

“Tonight, wasn’t their night. We got to see them again. I’m sure it will be a different story. Our pressure dictated the game. We forced 14 turnovers at halftime,” said UCLA head coach Mick Cronin.

The Bruins have kept three teams under 60 points in three games in a week.

“Defensively, 40 deflections, 22 turnovers we forced, just a tremendous effort. We try to build a culture for what it takes to win,” said Cronin.

Jake Kyman stepped up in Johnny Juzang and Jaylen Clark’s absence and scored 15 points and five rebounds.

“I just preach to myself to stay in the gym. Things will happen when it’s your time. It was my time to play tonight, and that’s what I did. I enjoyed every moment out there with my teammates. I’m just so proud and just happy to be out there,” said Kyman.

The Bruins switched various players on Stanford’s freshman starting forward Harrison Ingram and limited him to five points.

“Yeah, he’s really, really good. We tried to recruit him. He comes from a great family. He’s had a great year. He’s clearly had the best year of any freshmen in our league today,” said Cronin.