Not particularly disturbed by Manny Machado signing with the San Diego Padres. More troubled by him running half speed for the Dodgers.
Author: Rick Garcia
Rick Garcia’s Prediction for Best Actress
While I loved Glenn Close’s understated— yet powerful— take in “The Wife” and am disappointed that Rosamund Pike was overlooked by the Academy for “A Private War”, I’m going with Olivia Colman for her quirky role in “The Favourite.”
Lebron playing with Davis
The hope of watching Lebron play alongside Davis is exciting for Lakers fans to think about. These are two of the top players in the league. A combo that would be right up there with Shaq and Kobe, Magic and Kareem or Chamberlain and West.
Anthony Davis is not a Laker (Yet)
Fans are still optimistic that Anthony Davis will join the Lakers. While it would have been great to get him mid-season, they will have to wait until the season ends.
Saving Young Players for AD
A benefit of not trading for Anthony Davis is that the Lakers get to keep their young core rather than giving up the entire team to acquire him in February. It can be a better long-term situation if AD joins those kids as a free agent.
Lakers are quiet at the trade deadline
Laker fans were hoping for a big move to happen before the deadline, but nothing much came about. The trade with the Clippers opens up a spot for the Lakers to sign a player, but no big-names were acquired.
Rick Garcia Asks: Where’s the Magic?
After coming off a Super Bowl and Two World Series in the last two years, L.A. sports teams seem to be in pretty good hands…for the most part. The Rams and Dodgers appear to be built to last. On the other hand, what’s up with the Lakers? The franchise that has won 16 world titles — 11 in Los Angeles– appears to be in disarray. As the 2018-2019 NBA trading deadline was approaching, the Lakers were a team of desperation. Their efforts to get New Orleans superstar Anthony Davis, to pair him with their own free agent superstar Lebron James, has been a public mess. Their anxiousness to have another championship team right away seems to have clouded the judgment of those making the decisions (Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka). It used to be they’d make great draft decisions, then build their teams around amazing young talent. Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant ring a bell? Then they’d sprinkle in some veteran free agents to fill in the roster. It worked more recently for Golden State. How about this for an idea? Draft better and quit trying to mortgage the future for the present. There’s nothing supernatural about it!
Disappointed, not devastated
My feelings were in check on Super Bowl Sunday. Not that I was “just happy to be there,” but just being real. While I truly feel the Los Angeles Rams had the better players overall, there is no way to feel comfortable when your team plays Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. I know it was one of the most boring games in Super Bowl history, but as long as my team was still in it at the end of the game, I was just fine with “boring.” At the end of the day, both teams employed the same “stop the run” strategy. And both teams did it well. The idea is to let the quarterback beat you and that’s just what Tom Brady did. Hats off to the New England Patriots. They are one of the greatest franchises in sports history. Their coach is one of the best to run a team. And their Quarterback, the greatest of all time (G-O-A-T). But what I take from this loss is that I truly believe Jared Goff can win a title. That Sean McVay is currently one of the best coaches in the NFL. And that the Rams are built to last and will again be in the big game. But I’m also hopeful. Hopeful that the Patriots’ time in the sun will eventually pass.
Super Bowl 53: A Changing of the Guard?
The coaching battle for Superbowl 53 will be a great one. Bill Belichick, one of the best head coaches of all time squaring off against Sean McVay, one of the best young coaches in the NFL. Could there be a changing of the guard?
Garcia’s Thoughts on Cook’s Revenge
Wouldn’t it be great if Brandin Cooks got revenge against his old team. Not only is he motivated since he’s squaring off against his old team, but he was injured in last years Super Bowl. Lets see what he has in store for New England’s secondary.
Robey-Coleman’s Response
I’m curious to see how Nickel Robey-Coleman responds on Sunday. The past two weeks he’s been talked about non stop for that No-Call in New Orleans. He’s also talked about Tom Brady’s age which won’t sit well with the G.O.A.T.
Garcia’s Take on Gurley’s Bounce Back
I think these two weeks off will be good for Todd Gurley. He had a rough NFC championship but I think he could bounce back nicely. Ultimately though, I believe that CJ Anderson will be a huge factor for the Rams.
Rick Garcia on LA Ram’s D-Line
A big advantage that the LA Rams might have is their defensive line. Aaron Donald is one of the best players in the league and Ndamukong Suh can’t be forgotten either. Hopefully the D-Line will give the Pats offense fits.
Rick Garcia on Goff’s 1st Super Bowl
Can’t wait to see Jared Goff in is his first Superbowl appearance. He’s the Rams first quarterback to lead them to the Super Bowl since 2001 when Kurt Warner was QB. The team was still in St. Louis then. Does that still count?
Rick Garcia on Super Bowl 53
I can’t believe that the Rams are playing the Patriots in the Superbowl and Tom Brady is still the Patriots quarterback. I think the Rams will get it done, but it’s hard not to be afraid of Brady’s greatness.
Rick Garcia Remembers Penny Marshall
Penny Marshall LOVED sports! One night I was covering Dodgers VS Giants. Barry Bonds was on a quest to break the single season home run record. I’d see Penny often at various sporting events in LA while I was covering the games. On this night at Dodger Stadium she invited me to sit with her. For 9 innings we chatted up a storm. Everything sports. She was an encyclopedia and so charming! I had a bit of a cold and the crowd was loud and so I started to lose my voice. Still, I had to go on the air for my nightly sportscast after the game. But my voice was completely gone in the first sentence. The weather guy had to step in and finish the sportscast.
It was sooo worth it! RIP Penny.
SCARAMOUCHE, SCARAMOUCHE!
I don’t know if this goes back to the early 70s when mom wanted to “drag” us to Las Vegas to see Elvis. My brother and sister and I put up a big fight, which ended in us not going, a decision that I regret to this day!
As foolish kids at the time, we thought mom just wasn’t hip; we would have much preferred to see The Jackson 5. We didn’t think “The King” was cool enough at the time. Man, what a mistake.
I’ve seen many concerts since then, everyone from Engelbert Humperdinck (Vegas) to Lady Gaga (twice). I’ve seen Bruno Mars and Aerosmith and Elton John more times than I can count. I’ve enjoyed Philip Bailey belting out “Reasons” for Earth, Wind & Fire, and I’ve watched women next to me melt while Prince blew us away. But… I will always think of the ones that got away. One in particular-Freddie Mercury. I did see QUEEN featuring Adam Lambert, who is a talented vocalist in his own right. But I never had the chance to see Freddie.
I didn’t see Elvis because I was too immature to know what I was missing. With Freddie, I always thought I’d get around to it.
I’ve been lucky enough to see some incredible talent rock the stage Live. And eventually I even got around to seeing The Jacksons (with Michael). But it’s still tough getting past the ones I missed.
Who do you regret not seeing perform live?
’Tis the Season
It was the fall of 1978. I was making the 60 mile drive from Lancaster to Westwood with my then-girlfriend. In those days, an hour drive to the “big city” for dinner and a movie was a big deal of a date for a 17-year old. Unfortunately, as we looked up what was playing in the movie section of the L.A. Times (no Fandango back then), we were disappointed to see nothing of interest. Then I stumbled upon a small picture of a pumpkin with a huge knife stuck in it. It was an ad for a movie called “Halloween.” Being a big fan of the horror genre, I was taken. We grabbed our popcorn and Dr. Peppers, and for the next hour and forty-one minutes, were horrified. What a sleeper that flick turned out to be! It would spawn so many terrific slasher movies for years to come.
Well, 40 years later, I plopped down in my seat for the 2018 version of the flick with one of my dearest friends and our wives, which I know had to painful for them considering “A Star is Born” was showing next door. This newest rendition of John Carpenter’s spooky franchise did not disappoint. There is less slashing and almost no sex. (Remember in previous versions, every young couple who tried to sneak off for a romp usually got butchered, a common formula for that type of movie at that time. Gee, I wonder what the message was?? I know I looked over my shoulder for years!)
Anyway, the movie is as frightening as ever, with a terrific performance by Jamie Lee Curtis, plenty of those bone-chilling scenes that appear out of the background, and Carpenter’s classic theme music. You’ll be hearing it a lot as the spooky holiday approaches.
Halloween. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!
Lest we Forget
My dad fought gallantly in the 1940s in the second World War. He was “in theatre” with Patton’s Army. Made his way through Europe carrying a Browning Automatic Rifle, at that time considered one of this country’s fiercest weapons. He helped liberate POW camps and eventually, he and his fellow comrades helped bring an end to Germany’s attempted conquest of the world. My father’s work wasn’t done; immediately following the war he was stationed as a guard outside the famous Nuremberg Trials. If anyone ever deserved his country’s help during a time of need, it is my dad. So when we went to hear an attorney speak about helping veterans receive VA benefits recently, it gave this 92-year-old proud Latino hope that– as his and my mom’s health quickly deteriorate– his country could make things more comfortable for him. We set up a follow-up appointment with the attorney at a cost of around $600. She spent more than the agreed-upon hour going over some of the details of filling out a VA application for benefits. It was complicated and overwhelming for both my dad and me, but I’m realizing now that was perhaps the intention of this attorney. Figuring we wouldn’t be able to get through the reams of paperwork, I asked the attorney what they would charge to fill out the application. What I got was an email response offering to prepare my parents’ will, health directives, power of attorney and a few other items that my parents do not need help with. The price $9,500. I explained that we didn’t need help with any of those items, but that I was curious what the price would be for help only with the VA application. I was told the attorney couldn’t help us with our request and that we should seek help from a local Veterans Service organization. In other words, my dad’s needs weren’t lucrative enough for this attorney. It was clear to me that her office was hoping to “up-sell” us and perhaps other unsuspecting clients who were duped into thinking her office was there to help veterans. Sadly, I’m hearing more and more that being taken advantage of in this way isn’t an uncommon problem for vets.
We did take that attorney’s advice and found a local veterans service organization. Hopefully, they will be able to give my dad the support he deserves, and– more importantly– restore his faith in those he courageously defended so many decades ago.
Courage Comes in all Sizes
It’s been about a decade that I’ve attended the Michael Hoefflin Foundation’s “Evening Under the Stars.” Usually I’ve worked the event as emcee. But this year from my seat as a “civilian,” I was especially struck by the many stories parents told of life with their cancer-stricken children. Over the years, I’ve delivered gift baskets during the holidays to some of the less fortunate families who struggle to afford the gas to take their children to doctor’s appointments. I always come away in tears, grateful for my family’s good luck. But for some reason, it really hit me on this recent night. As difficult as life can be for these parents, I’m reminded at how amazingly strong the children are. When I spend time with these smiling, happy kids, they seem wise beyond their years. Their strength during these moments is the glue that keeps families together. It’s why when I start feeling sad about their plight, I’ll choose to be inspired by their courage. Please check out mhf.org. Perhaps you can help some amazing people and be inspired like me.
