Did you watch the now-canceled series named “Shark”? The one with James Woods? And did you notice the striking woman who played the district attorney? No? OK, perhaps you watch “Two and a Half Men” and remember the episode when the nebbishy Alan character (played by Jon Cryer) dated a woman who previously had dated […]

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I can’t NOT take the Metro Blue Line to Staples Center, can I? One of its Long Beach stations is about 150 yards from where I live. It has a stop on Pico, maybe 200 yards from the southeast corner of Staples. The train runs late, so even if I’m writing until 11:30, I can […]

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Terrific regular season, in The League. The Celtics breakthrough, the Lakers’ rise, the crazy scrum in the Western Conference. Blockbuster trades. It was going to lead to great playoffs, almost inevitably. Had to. When these great teams begin meeting each other. Oh, yes. Instead, we’re looking at one lopsided game after another, only one seven-game […]

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A bit further down on this blog I suggested that horse racing is headed for extinction. Mostly because humans seem increasingly unwilling to countenance any activity that puts animals in danger. Any sport in which animals can get hurt is becoming less popular by the minute. That includes hunting and fishing, certainly. Horse racing fills […]

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Yes, it’s All Shaq All the Time today. While writing about Shaquille O’Neal in previous posts here, I bumped into several of his various and sundry nicknames. For starters, “Shaq” itself is a nickname. But we won’t even count that as one. Many Shaq nicknames were those he gave to himself. In his mind he […]

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Shaquille O’Neal will have played for at least four NBA teams by the time he retires — the Magic, the Lakers, the Heat and the Suns. But it seems clear where his retired jersey should hang. In Staples Center. So, look for a No. 34 — his number in L.A., where 32 (Magic Johnson) and […]

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USC football coach Pete Carroll didn’t sign anybody. For all I know, he didn’t make a call or visit a kid or send a letter or an e-mail. Might not be able to right now, per NCAA rules. But he and the Trojans certainly sent a message to every prize recruit in the country, over […]

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The L.A. Times on Saturday did a story on a university student in Newcastle, England, who is a rabid Lakers fan — perhaps the only one in the United Kingdom. And this guy is desperate to see the Lakers in the playoffs. Well, preferably in the NBA Finals. The guy’s name is Ian McCabe, and […]

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Not that I’m losing touch with the National Football League, or anything, but until about 30 seconds ago I thought both Jake Long and Chris Long were sons of Howie Long, the former Raiders tackle — and NFL Hall of Famer as well as TV analyst. Then, because I used to be a professional journalist, […]

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Who da man? I da man, that’s who! I brought the advanced level of “Minesweeper” to its knees just now. A total beatdown. And it took me only 160 attempts. Take that, you … mines! Consider yourself completely and utterly swept. Break out the brooms! I didn’t quite do a victory dance when I finally […]

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