Author: fartheroffthewall

A few years before LeBron James’ decision last month to take his talents to Los Angeles and effectively gain one of those coveted courtside seats to Laker games, his not-so-subtle decision to take his family to Brentwood and immerse himself in the La La Land mystique as a burgeoning media mogul took shape.

As we discussed in today’s episode of The Drill Morning Briefing 08.08.18, the recent  acceptance of Showtime, HBO and CBS to partner up with an assist from James’ Burbank-based SpringHill Entertainment company could be the ultimate buzz of the TV Critics Association gathering in Pasadena this week. And that’s without James even showing up to do one of the mass interview sessions that tries to generate paragraphs and sound bites that start to trend on Twitter and make people curious.

The latest: Something they’ve cleverly called “Shut Up and Dribble” will debut on Showtime in October. The three-part documentary series that James will serve as one of three executive producers will look at the evolution of NBA players and “the changing role of athletes in our fraught cultural and political environment,” according to the network press release.

Hence, the title, which came from conservative-slanted talking head Laura Ingraham was dismissive of James last February as he and players from the Golden State Warriors were talking about passing on any ceremonial trip to the White House after last summer’s NBA Finals. Ingraham should be screaming for a royalties check based on this outcome, but that would only be more self serving.

Too bad she didn’t come up with “Stay In Yo’ Lane” before LaVar Ball made it into a slogan/T-shirt/media moment. Continue reading “Media notes version 08.08.18: The LeBron James Media Empire is just ramping up before his Lakers’ courtside seat is warm” →

Mike Trout’s number comes up Tuesday – No. 27 turns 27. If they’re thinking of retiring those two digits for him as a birthday wish … poppycock. They’ve still got to consider that another former halo No. 27, Vlad Guerrero, was inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame last week. Plus, Trout has missed the last four games with this wrist thing, they can’t be sure what his availability will be on this day-to-day basis.
Still, let’s crunch some more numbers:
*In this, his age 26 season, Trout is on a pace to hit .309 with 43 homers, 87 RBIs, 30 doubles, 30 steals and 143 walks (vs. 140 strike outs). Mickey Mantle’s age 26 season was 60 years ago, in 1958: .304 with 42 homers, 97 RBIs, 21 doubles, 18 steals and a league-high 129 walks (vs. a league-high 120 strike outs). Mantle was coming off back-to-back AL MVP awards and was fifth in the voting in ’58.
*So to date – eight seasons-plus — Trout’s career WAR is already 61.9, which is 111^th best all time in the game’s history. By the time Mantle’s eighth season was over, he had a career WAR Of 61.6. Mantle finished his 18-season career with a 110.3 career WAR, 15^th all time. Trout hasn’t played enough seasons to even be considered for Baseball Hall of Fame induction.
*By the way, you know a team gets 27 outs in a baseball game, right?
Surely that’ll be all up for discussion as the Angels have a T-shirt giveaway in Trout’s honor during the middle game of a three-game set at Angel Stadium against Detroit.
The Angels this week:
Home vs. Detroit: Monday and Tuesday at 7:07 p.m., Wednesday at 1:07 p.m., Fox Sports West
Home vs. Oakland, Friday at 7:07 p.m. (a Guerrero HOF bobblehead giveaway), Saturday at 6:07 p.m., Sunday at 1:07 p.m. (Trout youth jersey giveaway). All on Fox Sports West

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The Dodgers’ 9-8 record in the 17 games post-All Star Game might be something that looks slightly above average. But considering the quality of opponent, it’s better than falling below .500, and they’ve held onto a tie for first with Arizona in NL West to this point at 62-51. Two more nasty-type opponents make up the upcoming week. A two-game trip to Oakland against the 67-46 Athletics, who are in as the AL second wild-card at this point, and then four more against the 59-52 Rockies in Denver, who could come out of this series trading places in the standings, get the Dodgers attention again. Rich Hill has two scheduled starts this week – the first game in Oakland and the last game in Colorado, where his spinball may not be up to the altitude challenge. He has yet to get on the hill this year at Coors Field, but the 38-year-old Hill has a career 0-2 record in three starts there with an 8.80 ERA – 15 earned runs, 18 hits, three homer and 11 walks in 15 1/3 innings.
As for the A’s … who spend their week ahead against the Dodgers and Angels, here’s a graphic from ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” that tells their recent story:

The Dodgers this week:
At Oakland, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:05 p.m., SportsNet LA
At Colorado: Thursday and Friday at 5:40 p.m., Saturday at 5:10 p.m., Sunday at 12:10 p.m., SportsNet LA

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What happens to L.A. traffic when LAFC and the Galaxy go head-to-head at home on the same night at the same time? We’ll find out. At the same the when the Galaxy is at StubHub Center in Carson facing Minnesota United FC, the LAFC has its Banc of California Stadium filled for an appearance by Sporting K.C. – both on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Galaxy just had their 10-game unbeaten streak end with a 2-1 loss against Colorado, but perhaps Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s work on the phones to get season seat sales will manifest itself in some other way. The LAFC comes off a 2-1 loss at New York Red Bull. Before Saturday, LAFC also has a U.S. Open Cup semifinal contest in Houston against the Dynamo (Wednesday, 6 p.m.)

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Can you name the guys who’ve won the previous three majors in golf this season? Patrick Reed took the Masters, Brooks Koepka captured the U.S. Open and Francesco Molinari somehow was victorious at the recent British Open. Justin Thomas is the defending PGA Championship’s Wanamaker Trophy winner, and he’s given 16-to-1 odds of a repeat here – the same 16-1 that Tiger Woods has to pass up favorite Dustin Johnson (19/2), Rory McIlroy or Jordan Spieth (both 12-1). McIlroy is looking for his third career PGA Championship title while Spieth continues to seek a career grand slam. Woods, McIlroy and Thomas are paired up for the first two rounds of this 100^th PGA Championship, which happens at Bellervice Country Club in Town and Country, Missouri, just west of St. Louis. Yes, back at the PGA’s Genesis Open at Riviera, it was a threesome of Woods, McIlroy and Thomas together, and McIlroy was amazed at how Woods plays with all that attention. “I swear, playing in front of all that, he gives up half a shot a day on the field,” McIlroy said at the time. “Like it’s two shots a tournament he has to give to the field because of all that that goes on around him.”  Bellerive last hosted a PGA in 1992, when Nick Price won his first major. More info: www.pga.com/events/pgachampionship
TV: TNT has the first two rounds Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. CBS (Channel 2) has the final two rounds Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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When NBC covered the Baltimore-Chicago participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game last Thursday in Canton, Ohio, the ratings average of 4.1 and 6.77 million estimated viewers was actually more than what Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final did (3.9 rating, 6.59 million viewers). Therefore, we predict the NFL exhibition openers for the Rams (at Baltimore, Thursday at 4:30 p.m., Channel 2), Raiders (home vs. Detroit, Friday at 7:30 p.m., Channel 5) and Chargers (at Arizona, Saturday at 7 p.m., Channel 7) have a heck of a good chance to be the most-watched things in L.A. TV on those nights.

ALSO:

*The return of the Premiere League Soccer season happens Friday with Manchester United-Leicester City (noon), continues Saturday at 4:30  a.m. on NBCSN with Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur, followed by Chelsea taking on Huddersfield Town at 7 a.m., and bleed over to Sunday on NBCSN with Liverpool vs. West Ham United (5:30  a.m.) and Arsenal vs. Manchester City (8 a.m.). More info: www.premierleague.com
*The West Regional final of the Little League World Series tournament – the winner advances to Williamsport, Pa. – happens in San Bernardino (Saturday, 6 p.m., ESPN). More info: www.littleleague.org/world-series/2018

A story posted on an ESPN platform back in 2016 attempted to round up information that accurately portrayed the importance of a Spanish-language broadcast as it related to Lakers’ fans in Southern California.
Julio Manteiga, an associate director of media monitoring and Latin America communications for the NBA, said at the time the Hispanic fan attendance for Lakers games was 42 percent; the 2015 U.S. Census showed that the Hispanic population of Los Angeles County was 48.4 percent.
Today, Los Angeles has listed 4.6 million Hispanics and Latinos, or nine percent of the entire U.S. population, and47 percent of the city’s population.
However you want to slice it, the launch of an all-Spanish language sports regional network in 2012 seemed worthy of having. Hispanic outreach has always been important to the team.
Then thing change. Perhaps demographics, habits, desires on where to watch …
You open a restaurant, serve authentic fare, and hope it resonates.
The decision to drop Spectrum Deportes as of Aug. 15, per our story here,  is disappointing on many levels. Some who work there express remorse in not having the channel sufficiently publicized. Viewers had complaints about how difficult it could be to find on the TV menu. As for live events, other than the Lakers and MLS Galaxy, there wasn’t much to look forward to on a nightly basis.
That, and the fact Spectrum is trying to launch a 24/7 English-language all-news service, much like Spectrum News NY1 in New York City, makes Deportes expendable, if you go with the research.
The Lakers have had no comment yet. Team chief operating officer Tim Harris is out of the office and would be best to address it.
Also more on this from our new GameTakes app podcast.

Item 2:

If Alex Faust could become the successor to Bob Miller, would it really jeopardize his career if he pondered some flattering news that Alex Trebek endorses him as possibly the next host of “Jeopardy!” should a retirement decision come into play soon?
To our credit, we did ask that in the form of a question. But we really don’t question it.
To the credit of the 29-year-old Faust, who became the Kings’ TV play-by-play man on Fox Sports West starting with the 2017-18 season after Miller’s retirement, responded on Twitter after a TMZ interview with Trebek became public that he has been impressed with Faust’s work:

And then the Kings responded:

Faust does have a degree from Northeastern University in political science and economics, and was a data analyst at PricewaterhouseCoopers,  if that helps on the resume. Continue reading “Media notes version 08.02.18: On Spectrum Deportes’ departure, Alex Faust perhaps jeopardizing his career, Steve Levy at 25, and the ESPN Ocho revival” →

The Spanish word is known as “duende.”
“It’s the moment a piece of art connects to your soul, with emotion or a response,” says S. Preston. “There’s no English word for it. But it’s fun to see it happen.”
His baseball minimalist artwork, available at his Anaheim studio as well as his website — www.sprestondesigns.com — is where things happen.
We have a profile of S. Preston at the Los Angeles Times, and in it, some loyal customers talk about what his art has meant to them.
Here are some others:
Kari Steele, a USC graduate in Phoenix working as local ABC digital sports reporter, said the art “evokes a nostalgic response for baseball fans like myself. … I love his work so much I want to decorate my future kids’ rooms with it.”
Julie Alexandria, a former Fox Sports regional network reporter for the Mets, Nationals and Padres — see the video below — said buying the Angels’ Big A halo piece as a gift for her brother seemed to give him an edge in the girlfriend vetting process.
“He put it up on the wall in his apartment and he said he knew if a girl came over and pointed it out – realizing it was the Big A and not just some red mountain peak – then she was a true fan,” Alexandria said.
In Southern California, pieces focused on Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium are complimented by ones on the L.A. Coliseum and Rose Bowl, which are included in NFL and college football stadium series. He also has an Ebbets Field drawing from his 30 “heritage” ballparks collection.
While S. Preston rarely draws characters, he did so for nearby Fullerton resident Tommy Lasorda, recreating the incident some 30 years ago where the former Dodgers’ manager walloped the Phillie Phanatic mascot in Philadelphia. Lasorda was so impressed to get the original as a gift, he signed 20 copies of it that continue to sell at the gallery.
“I think he appreciated the fact that I drew him pretty thin,” said S. Preston.
A tribute to retired Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully with an old-style microphone on field of blue is also a popular 14×20 print.
His most popular piece lately? He capitalized on the Washington Capitals’ championship, showing a Stanley Cup reflecting in the water off the Washington Monument.
That’s duende.

When you have guests come from out of town and they ask about going to Venice Beach, or walk up and down Hollywood Blvd., or hang out the Santa Monica pier … that’s all nice and (sometimes) good. But a true SoCal experience happens this weekend. The second half of the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing finishes at the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier, all week long, with the finals on Sunday. Sure, there could be a little rowdiness, but … don’t be turned off by the few knuckleheads out there. They extend the whole party with skateboarding and BMX bike competition. The World Surf League’s best are there. The Surfing Walk of Fame induction happens Thursday. More info:  vansusopenofsurfing.com
If the OC is too far away, stick to the South Bay. The International Surf Festival returns Wednesday through Sunday on the beaches of Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo and Torrance, with classic events like the Charlie Saikley 6-man/6-woman volleyball tournament, the international bodysurfing championships, the two-mile beach run, the pier-to-pier swim and paddleboard championships, the dory races and more lifeguard race events. More info: www.surffestival.org

############ Continue reading “07.30.18: Five things you should plan for the week ahead based on unscientific evidence of guaranteed importance” →