Sorted by date Results 1476 - 1500 of 1841
By Fred Altieri Observer Reporter California Chrome is on a serious fast-track to become a horse for the ages regardless of the obstacles thrown in his path on or off the track. The moment jockey Victor Espinoza rode the ultra-charismatic three-year old across the Pimlico Race Course finish line in their now-familiar grand style to win the 139th Preakness Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths in front of a record crowd on Saturday, May 17, he was suddenly staring at the New York Racing Association and company...
By Fred Altieri Observer Reporter It was a bittersweet week for Culver City High baseball when their 2014 Ocean League season ended just as it had the previous year: finishing in second place behind archrival Santa Monica High but easily qualifying for the CIF Southern Section Division III baseball tournament. The Centaurs will have to motor north to the desert area of Lancaster / Palmdale to take on the Quartz Hill High Rebels this Friday afternoon in first round action. Their quest for the lea...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor As Donald Sterling prepares for a lawsuit against the NBA that could last for many years he has dismissed his longtime council and chosen an old ally. The firm of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips is out. Veteran anti-trust lawyer Maxwell Blecher is in. Sterling is 80. Blecher is 81. Blecher last represented Sterling when he moved the Clippers from San Diego to Los Angeles in 1984. Blecher sent a letter to the NBA last week that said Sterling will not pay the $2.5...
By Fred Altieri Observer Reporter The time is now for Culver City High baseball 2014 as it prepares for its annual two-game Ocean League series with archrival Santa Monica High in the league's final week of play. Once again the league championship will go to the victor as it has been for the greater part of the past two decades-plus. Only this time the Centaurs, with a current 7-1 league record, need to win both games as they trail the Vikings, undefeated at 8-0, by 1/2 game in the standings....
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Donald Sterling, the disgraced owner of the Clippers, went on the Anderson Cooper television show over the weekend and apologized for racial remarks that have the NBA attempting to force him to sell the franchise. “I said a terrible thing but I am not a racist,” he said. “I feel so sorry for the people I’ve hurt.” Despite the apology, Sterling is investigating the possibility of suing the NBA for $1.7 billion. In a related development, Sterling’s wife Shelly...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor The Lakers have indicated they plan a long search for a coach to replace Mike D’Antoni, who resigned last week following two unsuccessful seasons. The Lakers are in the difficult position of being without a coach or many players. Only three players, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Robert Sacre have a Laker contract for next season and Nick Young has a player option. It is believed the Lakers may interview as many as 20 coaching candidates. Two college coaches, John C...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Magic Johnson issued the following statement concerning rumors he might buy the Clippers. ´I am not going to buy the Clippers," he said. The NBA is attempting to force disgraced owner Donald Sterling to sell the team soon. Unlike Johnson, Oprah Winfrey has expressed interest and has two highly qualified partners....
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor What other news, what other developments could there be from the Clippers’ bizarre week as they await a deciding Game 7 of their opening round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors? Well, there is one more development. The New York Post reported that 80-year-old ousted Clipper owner Donald Sterling has been battling prostate cancer for several years. Most Clipper players and Coach Doc Rivers said they weren’t aware of the situation. “I hope it isn’t...
By Fred Altieri Observer Reporter Centaur baseball continued to gather momentum as it took a two-game series from Inglewood High, 19-0 at home and 11-3 away, while extending its Ocean League unbeaten streak to four games. Actually it will be a six-game winning streak due to a two-game forfeiture by Culver City High's next scheduled opponent, Morningside High. The Centaurs are virtually 17-6 overall and 7-1 in league play. And the team has yet to play its best ball. Head coach Rick Prieto led...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Donald Sterling has been confrontational during his 33 years as the Clippers' owner so it isn't surprising that he isn't taking his lifetime suspension without a fight. Sterling has a $1.7 billion lawsuit against the NBA in mind after he was banned for life by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. He is considering several major law firms. Sterling's advisors aren't disputing the fact that Sterling's comments were racial but they are disputing the fact the tape he made...
By Fred Altieri Observer Reporter What a horse. What a team. And California bred. California Chrome's magical mystery tour intensified as the three-year old wonder horse thoroughly electrified and wooed the horseracing world and beyond by winning the 140th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in his own superlative style and ridden in brilliant fashion by jockey Victor Espinoza on Saturday, May 3. The enchanted chestnut-colored colt contrasted by the elegant white markings on his face and all four...
The Lakers have indicated they plan a long search for a coach to replace Mike D’Antoni, who resigned last week following two unsuccessful seasons. The Lakers are in the difficult position of being without a coach or many players. Only three players, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Robert Sacre have a Laker contract for next season and Nick Young has a player option. It is believed the Lakers may interview as many as 20 coaching candidates. Two college coaches, John Calipari of Kentucky and former L...
What other news, what other developments could there be from the Clippers’ bizarre week as they await a deciding Game 7 of their opening round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors? Well, there is one more development. The New York Post reported that 80-year-old ousted Clipper owner Donald Sterling has been battling prostate cancer for several years. Most Clipper players and Coach Doc Rivers said they weren’t aware of the situation. “I hope it isn’t true,” said forward Blake Griffin....
Magic Johnson issued the following statement concerning rumors he might buy the Clippers. ´I am not going to buy the Clippers,” he said. The NBA is attempting to force disgraced owner Donald Sterling to sell the team soon. Unlike Johnson, Oprah Winfrey has expressed interest and has two highly qualified partners....
After NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced Tuesday morning the voice on the racial rant alleged to be Clippers owner Donald Sterling is indeed Sterling the commissioner took action. Sterling has received a lifetime ban from the NBA and fined $2.5 million. He will not be permitted to attend Clipper games or practices or appear in the team's offices. Silver also said the league will attempt to convince Sterling to sell the team. This is Silver's first major action since he recently succeeded...
By Fred Altieri Observer Reporter The 2014 Culver City High softball team's season is transitioning into league action following a successful 6-3 non-league start including tournament play. But the team has had to also deal with injuries to its pitching staff as of late. Notably, the number one pitcher is out for the rest of the regular season. Head coach John Sargent gave his assessment following last week's league home opener against Hawthorne High. "I have a young club. I have two seniors and...
By Fred Altieri Observer Reporter The Culver City High baseball team wasted no time getting back on the winning track in Ocean League action by taking both games in the season series against a much-improved Hawthorne High squad. With a 9-4 offensive burst on the road and a 2-0 tight one two days later at home. Centaur head coach Rick Prieto's words resonated with his players during last week's break in league play: "Hawthorne's a huge series. I've told the kids that from Day One." The team also...
By Fred Altieri Observer Reporter The California Chrome saga continues... Training before the big race: Willie Delgado is living the California dream and the beauty of it is... it wasn't planned. Better yet... much of his dream is shared with a colt. Willie is the exercise rider for California Chrome, the three-year old sensation and Southern California resident who is the crowd-favorite to capture this weekend's Kentucky Derby crown in Louisville. Delgado is thankful and pragmatic about his...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Shelly Sterling, the estranged wife of ousted Clippers owner Donald Sterling, wanted to attend the team’s Game 5 victory over the Golden State Warriors Tuesday night but didn’t know if she’d be welcome. Considering the fact her husband had been banned for life from NBA arenas earlier in the day she had reason to be concerned. She sought out Coach Doc Rivers for permission, which was granted. Shelly, who usually sits in a courtside seat, watched this game from...
Three sponsors of the Clippers basketball team, Red Bull, CarMax and Virgin America, have been the first to sever their relationship with the NBA team. On Tuesday two other sponsors, Chumash Casino and Mercedes Benz also pulled out. CarMax’ statement called comments by Clippers owner Donald Sterling on a tape being investigated by the NBA as totally unacceptable. CarMax has been a Clippers’ sponsor for nine years Two other Clipper sponsors, State Farm and Kia, both are believed to be con...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor The Lakers said they had no position for Phil Jackson, so he joined the New York Knicks and made his first move this week, firing Coach Mike Woodson. The Knicks didn’t make the playoffs and needed a change in direction. As the new man in charge Jackson acted quickly. Had he been given the same position with the Lakers Mike D’Antoni would most likely have been fired by now. Instead, the Knicks are moving toward hiring someone with a background in the Triangle Off...
By Fred Altieri Observer Reporter The Culver City High baseball team took a ride east out to La Habra High last Saturday, April 19, for a rare mid-season doubleheader. The Centaurs used a forced break into their season schedule as an opportunity to keep the team sharp for this week's Ocean League series against Hawthorne. La Habra proved to be a good test as the teams split the daytime twinbill. Culver took the opener 6-4 and had the lead going into the sixth inning of the second game only to...
By Fred Altieri Observer Reporter The Culver City High boys volleyball program hosted an all-day, Varsity Classic, nine-team invitational tournament on Saturday, April 19 on a glistening newly refurbished, hardwood floor in Del Goodyear Gymnasium. There’s newly painted lines complete with a large Centaur logo at center court. When all was settled in the late afternoon Palisades Charter ended up with the championship gold by squeezing out a one-set seesaw thriller against Arrowhead Christian, 2...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor I saw two versions of Blake Griffin in the opening games of the current playoff series between the Clippers and Golden State Warriors. In Game One I was wondering why Griffin was committing useless fouls, scrapping too hard for rebounds even as the whistle was blowing. Get away, I thought. You don’t need this. Being competitive is good but, man, use your head. Griffin has been a star from the day he joined the Clippers but he took a significant leap this s...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor A year ago, when the Lakers completed one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, I wrote Anatomy of a Disaster and had no intention of following with another similar article. But throughout this season, the worst since the Lakers moved here in 1960 from Minneapolis, readers have frequently requested Part 2 of this story. So here it is. It was bad enough last season when Kobe Bryant averaged 45 minutes a game down the stretch trying to get the Lak...
