By JIM ALEXANDER, The Press-Enterprise
NASCAR, Detroit take hard look at investments
At first glance, nothing should seem amiss this weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.When the NASCAR cars line up for Saturday's Nationwide Series race and Sunday's Sprint Cup extravaganza, it will be the same kaleidoscope of color and the same roar of horsepower that keep race fans coming back.
Chargers say they've learned what it takes
SAN DIEGO -- If the San Diego Chargers indeed are the last team standing when the Lombardi Trophy is handed out Feb. 1 in Tampa, a lot will have to do with the lessons their players and coaches learned in 2007.
K-Rod money in the bank for Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- You'd have to say Francisco Rodriguez is a master of timing, in more ways than one.
For Spurs, maybe next year
LOS ANGELES -- This NBA Western Conference Finals series came full circle for the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. They started it by losing a 20-point second-half lead and Game 1 to the Los Angeles Lakers, amid questions about their health and stamina.
What Napoli does behind the plate matters most
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Being a catcher under Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia is kind of like playing point guard for Larry Brown. The expectations are immense, but they're not necessarily what the casual fan might expect.
Becoming better teammate helps land Kobe MVP
LOS ANGELES -- The worst-kept secret in Southern California was finally revealed Tuesday afternoon, almost four days after the NBA -- keeping with its long-standing awards season tradition -- apparently leaked the story to one favored media outlet.
So what have Lakers proven anyway?
Was it fool's gold?The classic expression for something that is deceptively easy certainly is appropriate here, given the Los Angeles Lakers' first-round sweep of a team known as the Denver Nuggets. (We'll pause here to allow your groans to subside.)
Kobe's value even greater now
The NBA Most Valuable Player ballots are all in and presumably being counted by now, so nothing that happens in these playoffs will change any voters' minds. But Kobe Bryant's performance Wednesday night, in Game 2 of the Los Angeles Lakers' first-round series with Denver, serves as a vivid illustration of why he should, and probably will, win his first MVP award.
Don't crown the Lakers just yet
LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Lakers are back on top in the Western Conference. Or, as their fans consider it, Manifest Destiny. Those "M-V-P" chants Kobe Bryant has heard for years in Staples Center apparently are about to finally become accurate.
Western Kentucky's run is classic 'mid-major' success
Yes, it will be big-time vs. mid-major, heavy favorite vs. gritty underdog, and grind-it-out half-court defense vs. end-to-end pressure when UCLA and Western Kentucky meet in the NCAA West Regional semifinals Thursday in Phoenix.But it will also be a clash of college basketball cultures.
