Dodgers Sign Estes

The Los Angeles Dogers have signed veteran-lefty Shawn Estes (left) to a minor-league contract. Last season he pitched for San Diego, going 2-3 with a 4.74 ERA. Estes has pitched for San Francisco, New York, Cincinnatti, Chicago, Colorado, and Arizona in addition to San Diego. He had his best season in 1997 with the Giants, going 19-5 with a 3.18 ERA and All-Star berth. He has pitched 15-win seasons in 2000 with San Francisco and in 2004 with Colorado.

Clippers Hit Big 1-0

The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the New Orleans Hornets 107-80, their 10th straight loss. The Clips are still without Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, and Zach Randolph. LA committed 18 turnovers that resulted in 22 points. Rasual Butler had a game-high 27 points for New Orleans. Eric Gordan and Mardy Collins each had 15 points for LA, and Marcus Camby had 13 points with 17 rebounds. Hornets star Chris Paul played for only 29 minutes, scoring 10 points to go with 7 assists.

Lakers Avoid Repeat Loss

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers 121-119, avenging their last second loss to the Pacers in early December. Indiana tied the score when Mike Dunleavy, Jr. knocked down a 3-pointer with 26.4 seconds left, but Kobe Bryant hit a fall-away jump-shot with 3 seconds left to get the win. Defense took a night off as the Lakers shot .564 from inside the arc, while Indiana shot .488 to go with 11 3-pointers. Each team committed 13 turnovers, while Trevor Ariza, Vladimir Radmanovic, and Indian's Troy Murphy were each hit with technical fouls in the 4th quarter. Bryant led the game with 36 points and a season-high 13 assists, as well as 7 rebounds. Andrew Bynum had 20 points, and Pau Gasol had 21 with 11 rebounds. Josh Powell had his best game of the season off the bench, scoring 10 points. Danny Granger led the Pacers with 28 points, but fouled out with the game on the line. Murphy scored 24 points and Dunleavy had 22.

Saito Goes To Red Sox

The door was closed on any possibility of LA resigning Takashi Saito (left), according to Fox Sports.com, as the Japanese closer has signed with the Boston Red Sox, just a day after the deal between the BoSox and former Dodger Brad Penny was finalized. Saito was the Dodgers primary closer during the 2006-08 seasons, but a right elbow injury put him on the DL, leading to the emergence of Jonathan Broxton. Boston not only has signed Saito and Penny, but John Smoltz and Mark Kotsay. Saito has 81 career saves, with 245 strike-outs in 3 seasons. His best season was 2007, when he saved 39 games and was named an All-Star, along with Penny.

AP Puts USC at 3

The AP Polls were released, with their standings based on the recent bowl series. These are the Top 10:

1. Florida (48)
2. Utah (16)
3. USC (1)
4. Texas
5. Oklahoma
6. Alabama
7. TCU
8. Penn St.
9. Ohio St.
10. Oregon

The USA Today Poll came out as well, and this is its Top 10:

1. Florida (60)
2. USC
3. Texas
4. Utah (1)
5. Oklahoma
6. Alabama
7. TCU
8. Penn St.
9. Oregon
10. Georgia

Clippers Feel Deserted

The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs 106-84, their 9th straight loss. The Clips could not contain San Antonio's .512 shooting percentage. LA also commited 15 turnovers that resulted in 19 points, while the Spus commited only 11 turnovers that caused 12 points. Al Thornton and Eric Gordon led LA with 21 points each, and Mardy Collins added 16. Tony Parker led the Spurs with 19 points, and Tim Duncan had 8 points with 9 assists.

Editor's Note: BCS = Big Crying Shame

The college football season has come to an end, with Tim Tebow (below) and the Florida Gators defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in the BCS Championship Game. You would think that would have put the season into the rear-view mirror of sports-talk stations and newspaper columnists, but it hasn't. This season has only increased the over-hyped quagmire that is the BCS system. While the AP poll is a separate entity from the BCS, the BCS dictates how the playing system works. And right now, the only way to know who the best team could be is to let a computer perform its calculations. Never mind the fact that football is human, and players can be injured. A computer ignores that, and looks at each game like each team is running on all cylinders. The only problem is they can't. Teams can lose key players, like Ohio State with Beanie Wells, or USC last year after John David Booty's pinky injury. The computer doesn't know what we know, yet it has as much say as the humans. If this season has done anything, it has proven the need for a playoff system. Let's face it, when you have 4 teams (USC, Texas, Utah, Florida) each claiming a share of the national title, the system doesn't work. At least if you put them on the field to decide, no one can complain that they deserve to be in the championship. Unfortunately, this makes too much sense. After all, the Big-10 and Pac-10, who have both gone down in stature and performance, get a share of money if their teams go to a BCS bowl game. And with the current system, they are assured money with the Rose Bowl's traditional Pac-10 vs. Big-10 matchup. These programs won't give up the money for a true champion. If there just happens to be a crossroads because of this greed, well that's a Big Crying Shame.

Kings Get Home-Style Revenge

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-3, avenging their loss two days ago to the Ducks. The win came after it was announced that the Staples Center was sold out for the contest between the two teams. The Ducks' Bobby Ryan had his first career hat trick. The Kings led 3-0 during the second period, but Ryan's hat trick cut away the lead. Anaheim tied the game in the beginning of the third period, but Alexander Frolov scored a power-play goal to get the win. Ryan scored all three of the Ducks' goals, and Anze Kopitar, Wayne Simmonds, and Dustin Brown each scored goals for LA.

Dodgers Lose Hoffman, Continue Bullpen Work

The Los Angeles Dodgers failed to sign Trevor Hoffman (left), according to Fox Sports.com, who made an agreement with Milwaukee. LA made an offer of 1 year with on option for 2010, but with Jonathan Broxton waiting in the woodworks to become a closer, Hoffman saw a definite closer job with the Brewers. The Brewers lost their closer Salomon Torres to retirement. The Dodgers are still pursuing bullpen help, looking at Dennys Reyes, Guillermo Mota, and Juan Cruz.

Lakers Regain Their Pau-wer

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 114-106, a day after losing to New Orleans at home. The Lakers trailed 80-77 going into the 4th quarter, but they took the lead for good. LA was without Lamar Odom, whose MRI revealed he has a bone bruise that will keep him day-to-day. Coach Phil Jackson played all of his 9 remaining guys, including Josh Powell and Sun Yue. Powell had 4 points and 4 rebounds, and Sun had a blocked shot. The Lakers had a .451 shooting percentage, while G.S. shot .484. Pau Gasol led the game with 33 points and 18 rebounds, and Kobe Bryant scored 21. Trevor Ariza had a season-high 17 points to go with 9 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Sasha Vujacic scored 12 points and had 6 assists. Jamal Crawford led the Warriors with 25 points.

Ducks Poke Holes in Kings

The Los Angeles Kings were defeated by the Anaheim Ducks 3-1, falling below .500. Two penalties set up 2 of Anaheim's goals. LA took only 18 shots on goalie Jonas Hiller, with just one going into the net. Bobby Ryan, Scott Niedermayer, and Samuel Pahlsson each scored goals for the Ducks. Kyle Quincey scored the Kings' only goal, and Erik Ersberg made an emergency start at goalie when Jonathan Quick came down with flu-like symptoms.

Clippers Can't Beat Deja Vu, Mavericks

The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the Dallas Mavericks 107-102, their 8th straight loss. The Clips had a 5-point lead with 3:30 left, but Dallas went on an 11-1 run to win the game. The Clippers still have not won without Baron Davis, who is only a small part of the players on LA's inactive list due to injury. Rookie Eric Gordon scored 32 points and had 6 assists to lead the Clips, and Al Thornton had 25 points. Marcus Camby is still a monster on rebounding, getting 19 boards to go with 10 points. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 34 points.

Lakers Get Stung by Hornets

The Los Angeles Lakers were defeated by the New Orleans Hornets 116-105, snapping both six-game and 15 home-game winning streaks. The game also caused Lamar Odom to hyperextend his right knee, and will not be with the team today in Oakland so he can get an MRI. The Lakers rallied in the third quarter to take a 99-94 lead, but New Orleans went on a 15-0 run to take the game. Kobe Bryant scored 39 points and had 7 assists to lead the Lakers, going 6-for-7 from 3-point range, and Odom had 12 points before leaving in the second quarter. Derek Fisher scored 19. David West and Chris Paul ripped apart the Lakers defense, with West scoring 40 points and getting 11 rebounds, and Paul with 32 points and 15 assists.

Editor's Note: Tiles Don't Fall in USC's Favor

The conclusion to the Fiesta Bowl was no doubt exciting. Texas scored a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds after having a 4th and 3 with only seconds left on the clock. The win helps Texas's claim to a national title (only if Oklahoma wins the title game), and hurts USC's. Not only did Texas win, but Utah did as well, defeating Alabama and becoming the only team in the top 10 of the BSC to go undefeated. Their claim is that they achieved every teams' goal: to win every game. And to have accomplished this incredible task, Utah believes it is unfair that they do not receive any National Title mention. USC loses its image, especially with Ohio State's defeat at Texas's hands. Having defeated a team apart of the mundane Big 10, USC loses its claim to a championship to many other teams with better resumes. The lone slip-up to Oregon State has ruined USC, who can only really hope for is to remain at #5 in the standings. Now is the time to be thinking about next year...

Walton Out For 2 Weeks

Luke Walton will have to sit out for at least 2 weeks with an injured right foot. He will be wearing a black protective boot for that time. There is still no information as to who will replace Walton in the lineup: Trevor Ariza or Vladimir Radmanovic. Walton replaced Radmanovic in the lineup after 20 games, and averaged 3.4 points and almost 2 rebounds per game.

Holt Goes to Washington

USC defensive coordinator Nick Holt (left) will leave the Trojans to go with Steve Sarkisian to Washington. Sarkisian was the offensive coordinator, and was hired by the Huskies to become head coach after their football team went winless. Holt appears to have made the move to have more power as D.C., as his salary is reportedly lower with U-Dub. Holt will have total control over the defense with Washington.

NFL Wild Card Round

The NFL's wild-card round has concluded, with four teams moving on to the divisional playoffs. Here are the results and next week's matchups:

SAN DIEGO def. INDIANAPOLIS 23-17 (OT) = will play PITTSBURGH
ARIZONA def. ATLANTA 30-24 = will play CAROLINA
BALTIMORE def. MIAMI 27-9 = will play TENNESSEE
PHILADELPHIA def. MINNESOTA 26-14 = will play NEW YORK


The wild-card round's Saturday games provided the most entertainment, as underdog Arizona won its first home playoff game in 61 years back when they were the Chicago Cardinals. San Diego, with the worst record (8-8) out of all teams in the playoffs, defeated the 12-4 Indianapolis Colts in overtime on a Darren Sproles 22 yard overtime touchdown run (left). The Chargers' victory has sparked a heated debate over overtime practices, as Colts QB Peyton Manning did not step foot on the field during the OT period. Some are demanding the use of a shootout, similar to college football's overtime, while others prefer the current system of first-score victory. Divisional rounds are next week, followed by conference championships, then the Super Bowl.

College Basketball Roundup

UCLA - The Bruins defeated Oregon 83-74, two days after playing Oregon State. The Ducks came within 3 points UCLA, but the comeback was stifled, thanks in part to Josh Shipp. Shipp scored 17 points, including four 3-pointers in the second half. Darren Collison led the Bruins with 22 points and 9 assists. Alfred Aboya and Nikola Dragovic both scored 12 points. Tajuan Porter led Oregon with 24 points, 15 of which came in the second half.

USC - The hardwood imitated the gridiron as the Trojans were defeated by Oregon State 62-58 in overtime. Roeland Schaftenaar's 3-pointer sent the game into overtime for the Beavers, who at one point in the second half trailed by 15. The win ended the Beavers 23-game conference losing streak. Taj Gibson led USC with 15 points. Schaftenaar scored 18 points to tie a career-high and Calvin Haynes added 16. The Beavers outscored the Trojans 8-4 in overtime.

Clippers Get Crushed by Detroit

The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the Detroit Pistons 88-87, their 7th straight loss. The Clips lost on a goaltending call on Al Thornton, whose foul gave Allen Iverson the winning basket. Fred Jones sprained his foot in the opening minutes of the game, becoming the latest victim of the injury bug that is plaguing the Clippers. Eric Gordon played for 44 minutes, scoring a career-high 31 points, and Marcus Camby scored 14 points to go with 20 rebounds. Thornton had 12 points and 6 rebounds. Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 24 points, and Tayshaun Prince followed with 20 points and 7 rebounds.

Lakers Stay Hot For Portland

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 100-86, improving their winning streak to 6 games and their record to 27-5. The Lakers trailed 25-17 after the first quarter, but outscored Portland 62-41 in the next two quarters. LA had a .493 shooting percentage, while holding the Blazers to just 39% shooting. LA also committed 12 turnovers in the first half, but they were converted for only 12 points. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 26 points, and Pau Gasol scored 19 points to go with 5 rebounds. Trevor Ariza started for Luke Walton, who will be sidelined for a period of time with a foot injury. Vladimir Radmanovic had a season-high 16 points with his new-found playing time. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 points to lead the Blazers, who were without top-scorer Brandon Roy.

Kings Fly By Philadelphia

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in a shootout, returning to .500. Goalie Jonathan Quick stopped 31 of 32 shots in his first overtime game and shootout of his career. Quick also did not allow any SO goals. Dustin Brown and Patrick O'Sullivan scored shootout goals to give the Kings the win after Wayne Simmonds scored a power-play goal to tie the game in the second period. Scott Hartnell scored a goal in the second period to give the Flyers a brief 1-0 lead.