The Last Entry for 2014!

LosAngelesfootballstadium.com

So last night, I had an amusing dream where I visited the site where the Los Angeles Football Stadium is supposed to be built (near Grand Avenue in the City of Industry). To confirm that it was indeed the stadium being developed at the location, I walked up to a random construction worker and asked him if he was working on the would-be National Football League arena. He said yes, and went on to stating that the stadium cost $500+ trillion (due to construction delays) to build. He was about to say more, but Sir Richard Branson (the Virgin Galactic owner who is not involved with the L.A. Football Stadium in any way, shape, or form in real life; I don't even know if he has ever met Edward P. Roski Jr.—the mastermind behind the arena project and a part-owner of the L.A. Lakers and Kings) motioned to him to get back to work. I waved to Mr. Branson to say 'hi'...but he didn't look amused that I inquired about the stadium, or the fact that I was even there.


LosAngelesfootballstadium.com

As the dream went on, more and more people started to show up at the site to watch the construction take place. People were taking photos and whatnot, and were trying to get a good view of the massive pit which would be the site of the football field itself. The construction workers blamed me for the unwanted turnout of onlookers. How did I know this? Well first off, several aerial drones suddenly appeared out of nowhere and flashed their spotlights down towards me. And second, a voice came on the PA system to tell the throng that I was the one responsible for bringing undue attention to the construction project. The dream ended after I took a couple of more glimpses at the massive pit. I then woke up and sighed.


LosAngelesfootballstadium.com

It would be really cool if the Los Angeles Football Stadium is eventually built (though the NFL has no intention of having a team relocate to L.A. next year)—seeing as how I only live about 7 miles from the site. However, if a football team does move back to the City of Angels, all signs point to Farmers Field in downtown Los Angeles being the stadium where professional players will once again tackle each other and get concussions in their quest to make it to the Super Bowl. That's a shame... What the L.A. metropolis doesn't need is for more traffic to clog the streets in the middle of the city due to another sporting event. L.A. County, on the other hand, can use the attention. Much as how the L.A. Galaxy plays soccer on the outskirts of L.A. in the city of Carson, and the Dodgers play in a ghetto-ass stadium (I'm an Angels fan) atop a measly hill on the outskirts of L.A. as well, our next football team should be able to breath some nice fresh air near the Diamond Bar suburb while its players, you know, tackle each other and get concussions. Have a great 2015, everyone!

Another Championship for Los Angeles!

Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times

Props to the L.A. Galaxy for winning another Major League Soccer title at the StubHub Center in Carson, California tonight! Landon Donovan and company defeated the New England Revolution, 2-1, to claim the Galaxy its fifth MLS Cup in franchise history (and a sixth Cup for Donovan). With today's accolades, Donovan is now retiring from the world of soccer. On the plus side though, the Galaxy's win and the L.A. Kings' Stanley Cup victory about six months ago show that Los Angeles is still the City of Champions! Not bad at all.

ISI Photos / Don Feria

Props to the Los Angeles Galaxy for winning a second straight Major League Soccer championship yesterday! With David Beckham ending his MLS career on a grand note, one wonders if his buddy Kobe Bryant will follow suit by winning one more NBA title before his playing days with the Lakers are over...perhaps as early as two years from now. Hmm. To post something uplifting again, at least the Galaxy joins the Kings in handing L.A. another professional sports championship this year. Though it remains to be seen (to sound pessimistic again) when Jonathan Quick and company will be able to begin defending their Stanley Cup title. Friggin' National Hockey League lockout. (The NBA is more popular worldwide than the MLS and NHL, FYI. That's why I didn't elaborate on what the NBA stands for.)

I guess the Kings will get to spend extra time with the Cup and pose it in pictures with new L.A. icons such as space shuttle Endeavour (below). And the USS Iowa...if the Kings ever make the effort to bring their trophy to the San Pedro naval exhibit.


Newton Yee - Los Angeles Kings / California Science Center

PROPS TO THE LOS ANGELES GALAXY for winning the Major League Soccer (MLS) title against the Houston Dynamo at The Home Depot Center last night. The final score was 1-0, with David Beckham helping Robbie Keane and MLS Cup MVP Landon Donovan bring a third Galaxy championship to Los Angeles since 2002 (L.A. also won in 2005). This is the first MLS title that Beckham, Keane and Donovan won together. Congrats, fellas. This makes up for the Los Angeles Lakers not winning a third straight NBA trophy this year, and of course, the still-ongoing NBA lockout.

...

Okay, it doesn’t. It really doesn’t. I want basketball back.


Stephen Dunn / Getty Images

HEADED FOR L.A.... In case some of you didn’t know yet, England’s soccer star David Beckham is headed for the City of Angels, where he will be playing with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Yes, L.A. has a soccer team. Not only does it have a soccer team...but the Galaxy even won a couple of championships back in the days when Shaq and Kobe were still winning titles and feuding at STAPLES Center. And what else was that Home Depot Center built in Carson for? The practice site for a would-be Los Angeles NFL team? Where’s the goal post?? All facetious talk aside, Beckham is set to earn $250 million over a five-year contract...making him the Alex Rodriguez of soccer. Speaking of A-Rod, click on this old-ass journal entry to read what I said about his $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers more than 5 years ago. And yet, he’s now on the once-great New York Yankees. Funny.