Best of my Work (September/October)

Okay so that idea of writing more sports on here? A lot more difficult when you're working 12-hour days and driving for three of them. Ambition is a wonderful thing.....execution is a lot harder as I've learned from my running/exercise journey.

Either way, I figured I'd give you guys a chance to see what I've been up to for work. Since I'm not writing here. Here's some of the best stuff I've written since late August. I'll try to do this every month.

1986 Crespi: Part 1 and Part 2
As a prep sports scribe, I've always been fascinated by Russell White, one of the greatest running backs in California history. He's the only sophomore named State Player of the Year and that 1986 Crespi High School team is the only team from the San Fernando Valley to win a title at the highest division.

Crespi coach Troy Thomas, left, and former Celts coach Bill Redell, right, show off the school’s memorabilia from the 1986 championship season. Thomas played defensive back on that team. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News)

White went on to an All-American career at Cal (still their all-time leading rusher) but I wanted to study his team. Coaches and players from that team became successful around Southern California. So I wanted to know what drove them to be great. The first story is a general reflection. The second is short snapshots of three guys from that team I didn't talk to in Part 1.

USC lost because....Alabama is really good

I don't know what fans expected between USC and Alabama. Did they expect a close game? Did they think USC could beat the national champions with a quarterback making his debut? I was on record saying to friends that if USC lost by 10, that's a good sign.

USC got housed 52-6 by a great team with the best coach/defensive mind in college football. This was won because Nick Saban and his defense vs. a rookie non-mobile quarterback is an easy mismatch.

It was ugly early on but Alabama did what the Tide do best - make big plays on defense, trust their training and take advantage of mistakes. Jabari Ruffin lost his cool on his penalty? Alabama comes back with a pick-6. USC blitzes and nobody rotates? Easy touchdown for ArDarius Stewart.

USC couldn't run the ball. JuJu Smith-Schuster was locked up all night. Its defense was bullied up front by Alabama's massive offensive line. Max Browne was in trouble all night. They didn't score a touchdown for the first time since 1997. Obviously they played poorly - which is what Alabama has done to good teams over and over the last 5-6 years.

What I've Been Up To (Sept. 3 edition)

So I've been far too quiet in this space. It's been two years but as most of you know, I've been pretty busy with my full-time gig for the LA Daily News. And by busy, I mean since last fall, a ton of late nights thanks to us adding videos to our coverage.

In the past, I used to blog while I wrote for my main gig but when you're basically on call for an 15-hour day, driving close to 3 hours roundtrip when on assignment, plus up until 2-3 a.m. editing videos...it's been hard to blog the way I want to (not to mention the rare piece I write for Bro Jackson).

I don't like writing quick stuff because I think my thoughts need to be developed and if you've read me, you know I hate wasting words. But at the recent NABJ Convention, I was challenged to find time for my blog. I was reminded that as much as I tell younger journalists to have one, I need to devote some resources here so people can see my work easier.

So here we go. The EB Sports Report 2.0 will basically be me sharing my videos, story links and whatever quick notes I can find time to drop. Maybe it won't be long analysis but you'll get a chance to enjoy what I've done.

Donald Sterling's Gone and a New Era Begins

The Clippers are hosting their Fan Fest today and seeing the images of celebration along the birth of the Steve Ballmer era has left me feeling a bit confused. Not that I'm not pleased Donald Sterling is finally removed from the NBA but because the team is going to have a change in identity.

I've grown up with the Clippers as the junior varsity team. They've had a year or two of success but it was never sustained. Even with this 3-year run they've been on, I had a feeling Sterling would find a way to screw it up because he always has. Whether it was by being cheap to pay quality coaches, free agents or running his mouth, he's been a poison to ruin any momentum.

Now that he's gone, I've wondered if the Clippers' new identity means that their old legacy isn't coming back and what that means longterm. I wrote about that last week over at Bro Jackson but I think to explain my confusion more, I can compare it to USC and UCLA.*

NABJ14: Gratitude, Love and Growth in Boston

“It's so free, this kind of feeling

It's like life, it's so appealing

When you've got so much to say

It's called gratitude, and that's right” - Beastie Boys “Gratitude”

Last week was my third time attending the annual National Association of Black Journalists Convention and Career Fair. Yet this time was different than the last two. The first was a mix of nerves, blind faith and excitement to visit my father’s hometown of New Orleans. The second felt like taking the training wheels off a bicycle and riding more confidently in looking for jobs and networking. 

This year? I vowed to return with a job and I did. I said I would meet my great friend Sam for the first time in 8 years and I did. I knew what to expect and yet I was open for something new. But I felt as comfortable as my flight to Boston was and it’s a sign that I wasn’t a new guy anymore. 

That’s why I want to give back as much as I received. Express gratitude to people like Michael Smith, who told me last year to get better at being myself as much as my craft. Thank Yahoo’s Marc Spears for telling me to focus this blog on local content as much as I can. Thank former Sporting News editor Garry Howard for critiquing my resume (and thank him in advance for reading some of my clips).

I also wanted to reach out to younger journalists and offer any tips I could. There were a ton of college kids and I was happy to listen to them as well as share some of my experiences. Plus nothing says NABJ like friendly debates on the NBA/NFL with folks around the country.

Why Tony Dungy's Comments Reflect a Bigger NFL Problem

I respect Tony Dungy as a man, as a coach and as a figure worthy of respect. Yet his comments today saddened me regarding that he'd pass up drafting Michael Sam to avoid the circus. It didn't surprise me either, given what we've known about him for years.

Tony Dungy's been a no-nonsense guy for decades. He came up in the Steelers organization where that attitude was ingrained by the hard-hat, workman-like style of head coach Chuck Noll. Dungy coached his teams that way and his organizations provided that same structure. He's a man of courage and outspokenness on several pertinent issues such as race in coaching hires.

However, this is not a case of homophobia. This is not about Dungy's faith possibly as a factor*. This is not a case to lecture a Black man about the civil rights struggle he lived through and how Black athletes were once avoided**. It's about a culture in pro sports that is scared if guys appear to have something bigger than the game around them.

That's why I found his opinion on Michael Sam being drafted so cowardly. It's the cowardly, old-school line of thinking in pro sports that you want guys who'll put their head down and work, not be somebody who'll bring a lot of attention to themselves. It's why we overvalue "humble" athletes as opposed to "boisterous, loud" ones.

Selling the Melo-Drama (Why the Lakers should re-evaluate Carmelo Anthony)

I would’ve hoped the Lakers management learned from Dwight Howard to think wisely on which big names to chase. The Lakers need a new face but they need the right face and the right pieces around said face to work. That's why when considering Carmelo Anthony, I don't like it because it reminds me of the chase for Howard.

Howard is a great player but he wasn’t a good fit because 1) he didn’t have a role in Mike D’Antoni’s offense, 2) he was coming off a back injury, 3) he didn’t solve the Lakers biggest problems. Defending the perimeter and point guard play. Plus the Lakers didn’t need size as much as they needed help in the backcourt and on the wing.

Enter Melo. A shooting star who can score from anywhere. A volume shooter who happens to play similar to one Kobe Bryant. Which is nice except Melo isn't a ballhandler or a good defender. I've seen him for 11 years and I don't see where he can lead any team to a championship with the way he plays. Yes he won at Syracuse but Jim Boeheim's system isn't the NBA and while he can you into the playoffs, he needs more help than just outscoring folks.

So why go after him? Because he’s a big name? That’s a sign of desperation. You can’t convince me Carmelo is a great fit here with the team as constructed. When you need upgrades at point guard and defense, what on Earth makes you think he fixes those problems?

Dee Gordon: A Comet Becomes a Star

If you asked me three years ago if Dee Gordon had the potential to be an All-Star, I would've said no. He had potential to be a great leadoff man and an exceptional base stealer but on first glance, I didn't see All-Star. All I was hoping for was him to develop into a better hitter so he could be a weapon.

Safe to say the guy my former co-worker called Speedy Dee back in 2011 has exceeded that. He's an All-Star reserve, a .300 hitter and the major league leader in stolen bases and triples that has helped galvanize this Dodgers offense. And I'm happy for him.

Yasiel Puig? Expected All-Star the minute he took MLB by storm. Clayton Kershaw? You've seen his last seven games right? Zach Greinke? Unquestionably the best "No. 2" pitcher in the National League. But Dee? A diamond in the rough who finally started to shine.

On the Lakers and the 2014 NBA Draft (Get the Point, Not the Size)

For the first time in nine years, I'm watching the NBA Draft to see what happens to the Lakers. The three-year back slide since the 2011 playoff sweep by the Mavericks has led to this and I guess all year, we've been waiting to see what happens.

Mostly, I've been praying that with some of the questionable personnel moves that Lakers management have made, they do the right thing on Thursday. Avoid getting a big man and get a guard to finally move into the 21st century NBA. With no second round pick this year or any draft picks for 2015 as of right now, this pick means a lot which is why they need to go small than big.

The Lakers have lacked a great, young, dynamic point guard for 15 years. While Ron Harper, Derek Fisher, Gary Payton, Smush Parker and Ramon Sessions were solid, Nick Van Exel was really the last one they've had. In this era you need a strong lead guard to be able to do anything in the West.

That's why the Lakers need to pray Dante Exum or Marcus Smart are available.

Clayton Kershaw: A No-No for the Young Prince

pic.twitter.com/fUZB7Y79P5
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) June 19, 2014

I was running Wednesday night with my crew and my phone died. So when I changed batteries afterwards, I got all the updates from ESPN. "Clayton Kershaw has retired the first 15 batters......Clayton Kershaw has retired the first 18 batters."

Naturally, I turned on the game on the radio. All I heard was the roar of Dodger Stadium and silence from Charley Steiner and Rick Monday. I started swelling up with hope and then all a sudden, Steiner started saying Kershaw was being embraced by his teammates as he threw the 12th no-hitter in L.A. Dodgers history.

All I could do was smile. A month ago, he had perhaps the worst game of his career as he was chased in the first inning. Now the Young Prince had the game of his life and it was even more special knowing we've been blessed to see such a wonderful talent grow and blossom into the best pitcher in baseball.