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By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor At the start of the 2014 baseball season most authorities believe the Angels' Mike Trout is the best player in either the American or National League. Trout is only 22 and has spent just two years in the major leagues. But he has batted .314, hit with power and stolen 86 bases. In addition he has played superbly in the outfield. The Angels are so impressed they've begun talks that could bring Trout $150 million over six years. The baseball authorities I've talked...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor When Jim Fregosi died last week I was jolted into a trip down memory lane. I was fresh out of college in 1963 and had an ambition to become a sportswriter. I sent out resumes and received a call from Bud Furillo, sports editor of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. We set up an interview. He seemed to like the articles I had included from the college newspaper but he was a no-nonsense kind of guy. "I have a position for you but I know it isn't what you want," he...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor The Super Bowl game was decided early as Seattle humiliated Denver. But the controversy surrounding Richard Sherman will linger for awhile. This was the featured sub-plot of pro football's biggest game. Is Sherman a jerk, as he appeared to be two weeks earlier in a classless interview following the Seahawks' victory over the San Francisco 49ers? Or is he a bright guy as appeared to be the case when he earned straight A's at Dominguez High in Compton and went on...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Stop me if you've heard this story before -- like last month -- but the Lakers are trying to trade Pau Gasol. If you don't follow pro basketball closely you probably wonder why they'd trade a proven player who averaged 20 points per game in January. If you do follow the NBA you know it's a common practice for teams out of playoff contention to unload players with high salaries. These teams aren't going to get the lucrative playoff revenue, so reducing the...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor It's official. Culver City High football star Stanley Norman has transferred to Serra High in Gardena. Serra football coach Scott Altenberg confirmed the speculation that began last week that Norman had taken out transfer papers. Norman then enrolled in classes at his new school in Gardena. Altenberg also said the player's family has moved into the Serra area. The Observer was among the media outlets that had gathered information leading to the likelihood Norman...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor The most interesting part of the remaining NBA regular season games involve teams driving toward favorable playoff position. There’s a big difference between having home court advantage and not having it. There’s a big difference from playing a powerhouse opponent right away or getting a series first to work your way in. I’ve traveled with great Laker teams with players who understood this. Shaquille O’Neal used to emphasize to me the Lakers had to finish...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor A bombshell announcement may be heading to the Culver City High football program. If Stanley Norman transfers to Serra High in Gardena, as is being speculated, the Centaurs would be without perhaps their best player next season. The Los Angeles Times' Eric Sondheimer, the premier high school sports reporter in Southern California, writes that Norman has taken out application papers to transfer to perennial powerhouse Serra. Norman is considered one of the top...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor The Dodgers will be paying Clayton Kershaw more than Sandy Koufax ever was paid. More than they've paid any pitcher in club history At 25, Kershaw has had six spectacular seasons. In one year he would have been a free agent. Can you imagine what the upcoming season would have been like if the Kershaw negotiations were going on? The new Dodger ownership preferred to get the matter settled early so everyone could concentrate on baseball. That was the right...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Speaking to several members of the media recently, the subject came up of outstanding college football coaches who had failed in the NFL. Lou Holtz was high on that list. His college teams won 388 games, including 132 at Notre Dame, but one year he went into the NFL and his New York Jets had a 3-11 record. When Pete Carroll was presiding over a collegiate dynasty at USC from 2000 to 2009 he seemed to find his niche. His Trojans were nationally prominent, so why...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Any player on the roster of a National Basketball Association team on January 8 has his contract guaranteed for the rest of the season. In view of that, the day of decision arrived for franchises this week. Teams out of playoff contention, especially, sought to reduce their financial obligation. The Lakers and Clippers both made a salary-cutting move. The Lakers released forward Shawne Williams, who had started several games at forward. The Clippers released...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Until Monday night, Texas' comeback win over USC in 2006 was considered the greatest championship game in the 16-year history of the Bowl Championship Series. But in the last game of the BCS, which will be replaced by a new system next season, Florida State's thrilling come-from-behind victory over Auburn, matched it. Florida State, seeking a perfect season, trailed 21-3 before taking command. Both teams scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. And Auburn,...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor The Lakers announced that Kobe Bryant will be out for six weeks with a broken bone in his left leg. Doctor Robert Klapper, ESPN radio’s medical expert with a distinguished reputation in his field, told listeners that because the injury is on a lower extremity Kobe won’t be able to train during the six weeks to get back into playing shape. Most likely, then, the Lakers can expect to be without the Kobe they’ve come to rely on for probably two months. Well, two mon...
The Dodgers had a strong reaction last weekend upon learning that their young star, Yasiel Puig, had been arrested in Naples, Florida and charged with reckless driving. Puig was reported to be going 110 mph in a 70-mphzone. It was the second such offense for the 23-year-old outfielder who had a sensational major league debut last season. The Dodgers issued a press release expressing their disappointment in Puig and said the matter should be taken seriously....
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor After the Clippers set a franchise record for victories in a season Vinny del Negro was fired as coach. There was the matter of the Clippers losing in the first round of the NBA playoffs. That was last season and this one began with Clippers management sending a very clear message. It was time for the Clippers to approach – and possibly win -- the first NBA championship in their history. Doc Rivers, leaving Boston after nine years, was hired as the coach who m...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor The Detroit Tigers were mighty good last season except for the fatal flaw of not having a premier closer. It made a lot of sense when they negotiated with free agent Brian Wilson, who earned two championship rings with the San Francisco Giants, then helped the Dodgers last season. But Wilson then informed the Tigers he wasn’t going to join them. A few days later the Dodgers announced they had brought Wilson back with a one-year contract and a player option for 2...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor When the Lakers lost to the Phoenix Suns Tuesday at Staples Center Coach Mike D’Antoni began the evening with his ninth different starting lineup in 21 games. The great Laker teams I covered in the past usually had set lineups and set substitution rotations. The players knew their roles. With roles changing game by game the defense suffers. It can take several years for teammates to learn where each other will be. This season the Lakers brought in a batch of g...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Venice High, the last Westside team remaining in the current football playoffs, lost its semi-final game to Crenshaw, 30-25 last Friday. Crenshaw and Narbonne will play for the LA City Section championship. Venice, the Western League champion, was the No. 3 seed in the playoff tournament. Coach Angelo Gasca’s team finished with a 10-3 record. BASKETBALL Santa Monica High will hold its annual early season tournament this week. Among the entrants will be p...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor There hasn’t been a lot written about this, but I’ve been told there are an unusually high number of USC undergraduate football players eligible for the NFL draft. The number I’ve heard is 33. That’s a lot. Some aren’t likely to be high NFL draft choices but they provide depth at USC and they would be missed. Some have redshirted and that year counts toward NFL eligibility. If a player has been in the program for three years, even if one year he redshirte...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor On Tuesday, it was opening night of the National Basketball Association season and former Laker great Magic Johnson was in peak form. However, Johnson is no longer a player or even a Laker minority owner. He’s one of the Dodgers’ new owners. “But my heart is still with the Lakers,” he said. “I love the Lakers.” He loves them enough to be quite upset about the status of the franchise. Johnson spent Tuesday appearing on a variety of radio sports shows and his theme...
USC hired former Trojan assistant Steve Sarkisian as its head football coach Monday. Sarkisian was head coach at the University of Washington the last five years, compiling a 34-29 record, including 8-4 this season. At USC he had been offensive co-ordinator and tutored Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer. Sarkisian talked with Trojan athletic director Pat Haden over the weekend....
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Santa Monica High's football season ended in a 42-10 loss to Lompoc. It was the third straight year Samohi reached the second round of the CIF playoffs. Santa Monica finished with a 7-5 record. The Vikings finished second to Culver City in the Ocean league. VENICE A 28-14 victory over San Pedro lifted Venice into a semi-final game in the LA City Section football playoffs. Venice will play at Crenshaw Friday night....
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor As the editor of this newspaper I urge my columnists to take a stand on issues. I don’t tell them what stand to take, but merely let readers know their position. Readers have their opinions and want to compare them to yours. But today I find myself unable to take the same advice. Kobe Bryant has signed a two-year, $48.5 million contract with the Lakers and as the wisdom of the Lakers’ move is debated nationally I can very clearly see both sides of the issue. Fir...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor This week in Westside high school sports... Santa Monica High won its first round game in the CIF football playoffs by defeating Channel Islands, 27-0. It was the Vikings' third consecutive shutout. Santa Monica will play Lompoc in the second round Friday night. Santa Monica finished second behind Culver City in the Ocean League... St. Monica was eliminated in the first round by Rio Hondo Prep, 62-28. Rio Hondo Prep is the division's defending champion and...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor My head is spinning as I leave Staples Center Sunday night. There are so many Laker topics to discuss. The Lakers have just beaten the Detroit Pistons, 113-99 and fans are celebrating as if an NBA championship has been won. They’re so happy because they get free tacos since the opponent didn’t score 100 points. On the last two possessions the Pistons miss shots and the crowd reacts as if the Lakers will get extra points in the standings. But here’s the reali...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor For most of the season St. Francis was rolling. But losses in its last two games moved the team to third place in the Mission League. Often in the CIF playoffs a third place team will be assigned a road game against a league champion. So that's what we have here Friday night. But, clearly, St. Francis is better than most third place teams. It lost to a pair of powerhouse teams, Serra and Chaminade The game will start at 7 pm. Playoff games are supposed to start...
