Breaking down and predicting six NFL wild-card playoff games
Sam Farmer breaks down the matchups and predicts winners for the first six NFL playoff games during wild-card weekend.
USC falls apart at the end and loses to Washington State, can’t build on winning streak
Boogie Ellis walked stiffly into the postgame interview room, dragging his left leg behind him the same way the fifth-year senior is trying to drag an underachieving USC team into the postseason picture. Ellis fought through a lingering hamstring injury to score 18 points with five rebounds, but lacked his usual explosiveness to make key…
Kawhi Leonard celebrates new contract by leading Clippers to victory
First, the “Board Man” got paid. Then he and the Clippers got a win. Hours after All-Star wing Kawhi Leonard signed a three-year contract extension worth $152.3 million on Wednesday, he scored 29 points as the Clippers slowly awoke to outlast the skidding Toronto Raptors, 126-120, at Crypto.com Arena and improve to 24-13. Leonard’s curving…
Prep basketball roundup: Birmingham pulls out overtime win over Chatsworth, Alijah Arenas
Alijah Arenas is human. He misses shots, he makes turnovers. It encouraged Birmingham coach Nick Halic to order Arenas to be double-teamed the entire game Wednesday. The strategy was working at times. The Chatsworth High sophomore missed his first six shots and was limited to 10 points at halftime. It was only a matter of…
Rams’ Matthew Stafford prepares to be Ford Field tough: ‘I’m the bad guy coming to town’
Team events. Wardrobe changes for photo shoots. Media days. Those were the few times Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford can recall being in the visitors’ locker room at Ford Field in Detroit, where he spent his first 12 NFL seasons playing for the Lions. But Sunday, before an NFC wild-card game, the visitors’ locker room is…
Pro Picks: NFL’s wild-card weekend filled with reunions and rematches
Pro Picks is a weekly column where AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi shares his picks for upcoming games. For all previous Pro Picks, head here. ___ Matthew Stafford vs. the Lions. Mike McCarthy vs. the Packers. Tyreek Hill vs. the Chiefs. The NFL’s wild-card weekend is all about reunions and some rematches, too. Stafford…
California moves closer to becoming first state to ban tackle football for kids under 12
The proposed law is striking in its brevity. Sure, the single sentence is a bit rambling, but California Assembly Bill 734 leaves no doubt about its directive: “On and after January 1, 2026, a youth sports organization that conducts a tackle football program, or a youth tackle football league, shall not allow a person younger…
Galaxy agree to most expensive transfer in club history to land Gabriel Pec
The Galaxy have reached agreement with Brazilian club Vasco da Gama to acquire winger Gabriel Pec on a $10-million transfer, the richest in franchise history. The deal, which also includes $1.5 million in incentives, could be announced before players begin reporting for preseason physicals on Saturday. Pec, 22, who will sign as a young designated…
Alabama coach Nick Saban retiring in college football stunner
One of college football’s biggest names is stepping away from the game. Alabama coach Nick Saban is retiring and has informed his team of the decision to do so, ESPN’s Chris Low reported Wednesday. The stunning news comes after Alabama’s season came to an end in the College Football Playoff semifinal with a loss to…
Lions fans want Matthew Stafford jersey ban at playoff game vs. Rams. Wife calls it sad
Matthew Stafford is a legend in Detroit. But this week he is back in town as the opposing quarterback during the Lions’ first home playoff game in 30 years, prompting this announcement to appear on Instagram in the days leading up to Detroit’s NFC wild-card game against the Rams: “JERSEY BAN. Lions Stafford Jerseys will…
