My SoCal Sports Wall of Fame, Updated!

Even though the Los Angeles Times was one day late in publishing coverage for Game 5 of the World Series in its newspaper, that didn't stop me from adhering to a tradition started in mid-2000 (when Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant won their first NBA title with the Lakers) and displaying today's Dodgers-celebrating printed edition on my wall at home!

Yesterday, I woke up at 5:30 in the morning to buy the L.A. Times paper...with all but one store that I drove to (a donut shop in West Covina, versus 7-Elevens for the other visits I made around the cities of Diamond Bar and Pomona here in Los Angeles County) running out of Thursday's edition. To make things hilarious for those jerks who apparently bought multiple copies of the paper so that there wouldn't be any left for other customers to purchase yesterday, the L.A. Times had Game 5 coverage only on its website. Everyone had to wait till this morning to buy the commemorative paper celebrating Los Angeles' second Major League Baseball championship in five years.

I woke up at 5 AM today to ensure that would be a lot more papers left at that donut shop before I made my purchase. There were six in stock, and I bought two. (There were two papers remaining on the shelf yesterday.)

So while the Dodgers' 2024 championship coverage now graces my bedroom wall instead of the 2020 title, one wonders when I'll replace the newspapers celebrating the Lakers' 2020 NBA Finals victory and the Rams' 2022 Super Bowl win at home. The way that the Lakers and Rams are currently playing (the Lakers lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers—who are currently undefeated—two days ago, while the Rams are 3-4 in the NFC West right now), probably not anytime soon!

Go Dodger Blue.

Photos of the Day: My SoCal Sports Wall of Fame, Updated!

Just thought I'd share this image of my updated SoCal Sports Wall of Fame...which now bears the Los Angeles Times' front page section featuring a triumphant photo of the L.A. Rams' Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals yesterday.

As you can see, my wall now holds L.A. Times newspapers that celebrate the championships of teams in three different sports leagues: The Lakers and Dodgers in 2020, and now the Rams. I'd also include newspapers that covered the Stanley Cup wins by the L.A. Kings in 2012 and 2014, respectively, but I figured I only have space on this part of my wall to mark the victories of professional Southern California sports teams in this decade.

(Even though 2020 was the end of last decade, but you get the idea.)

Will the L.A. Chargers win the Super Bowl next year? Or maybe this season's NBA championship will belong to the Clippers... Pfft, yea right. Even if the Lakers' obnoxious little brothers somehow make it to the NBA Finals this June, I have no intention of immortalizing them on a load-bearing wall at home.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Photo of the Day

I've just updated my SoCal Sports Wall of Fame with the Los Angeles Times' special sports page commemorating the L.A. Kings' new Stanley Cup title. I have no more space on my wall (at least this part of my wall), so I had to remove the L.A. Times front page section that featured the Anaheim Ducks' 2007 Stanley Cup win in order to make room for the Kings' article. Hey— When the day comes that the Ducks return to the Stanley Cup and win their second championship, then I'll ponder about whether or not I should make space on another wall in my bedroom for Anaheim's accomplishment. Until then, Go Kings Go!

Photos of the Day... Check out my Air & Space Wall of Fame (which has actually been up since...2005)—which is right next to my SoCal Sports Wall of Fame...

Photos of the Day... My SoCal Sports Wall of Fame has been updated—though it's still on the verge of becoming the Lakers Wall of Fame if Kobe and company manage to win another NBA title within the next two years. Anyways... To the L.A. Kings season ticket-holders who snatched up all the tickets to the Stanley Cup championship rally inside STAPLES Center tomorrow, thus preventing the general public (like me) from hearing the players' speeches after the parade concludes, I say screw you. I'm still going to the parade, though. But yea— Screw you.

YESTERDAY, I drove down to STAPLES Center to buy a championship baseball cap that I can wear at the Lakers parade tomorrow. The cap was pretty expensive—I paid $32 for it—but it’s all good. I’m well aware that the cap was a lot cheaper at stores such as Champs Sports, Lids and even supermarkets like Albertsons, but I don’t care. It’s always awesome to visit STAPLES Center right after the Lakers have brought home a title. Been doing that since Kobe and Derek Fisher won their first championship in 2000...will do it again even if/when Kobe surpasses Michael Jordan and wins his 7th ring...which will hopefully be in 2012. Four-peat!!! Yes, I know— I’m thinking a little too far ahead.



I also updated my SoCal Sports Wall of Fame...which should pretty much become the Lakers Wall of Fame by next year if they three-peat. I hung up the Los Angeles Times sports page commemorating the Game 7 win three days ago (shown in the first pic below), while I relocated the sports section celebrating Kobe’s 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006 to the plastic sleeve that originally held the newspaper celebrating the college football championship won by the USC Trojans in 2005. Removing the newspaper honoring the Trojans was really not difficult... I lost considerable respect for USC (despite the fact I’m going there for tomorrow’s parade) after the NCAA recently handed down numerous penalties upon the college for allowing former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush (who won a Super Bowl ring with the New Orleans Saints this year) and star basketball player O.J. Mayo (who’s now playing for the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA) to receive improper gifts from donors so they could stay and play for the Trojans. I still, however, have the L.A. Times front page commemorating the Anaheim Ducks’ 2007 Stanley Cup title hanging on my wall. Like last year’s photo, it’s not visible in any of the pics below. Oh well.

A DAY LATER... Just thought I’d show off my newly-updated SoCal Sports Wall of Fame, which covers all four Laker championships since 2000, plus titles by other southern California teams. The purple and gold streamers are from playoff games I attended during the Laker championship runs in 2000 through 2002. The newspaper on the bottom left-hand corner commemorates the January 2006 game where Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors at STAPLES Center, while the newspaper on the bottom right celebrates the USC Trojans winning the college football championship in 2005. NOT VISIBLE: The Los Angeles Times front page honoring the 2007 Stanley Cup championship won by the Anaheim Ducks. It's all good.