No one can deny that Los Angeles is full of stars and is arguably the place to be on the West Coast. A beautiful location on the coast of California, L.A. is desirable to almost everyone for someone reason or another. But as spectacular as L.A. is, the drama that is found in L.A. cannot be overlooked. The L.A. sports teams are no exception to the rule as the Lakers, Clippers and Angels have all had drama thus far through 2012.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers have become largely known this season for two reasons — they are actually winning games and are in contention to be out the Lakers for the better record by the end of the season. In fact, the two times have formed a rather strong rivalry over the course of this single season. The bigger piece of drama though is over Blake Griffin’s monster slams and the reaction by certain teams. Blake’s dunks are nothing short of earth shattering considering the force that goes into all of them, but some question whether his tough dunks are fouls. On another note, his dunks have earned the reputation as the most feared dunker in the NBA. With that title, Blake has been subject to a number of “hard” fouls that could be mistaken for signs of assault. Between being hit in the face by the Suns’ Robin Lopez or blindsided by the Hornets’ Jason Smith, Griffin has taken some ridiculous hits that are dangerous to both his body and the reputation of the NBA.
Los Angeles Angels
The Angels acquired arguably the best player in baseball this offseason by signing for St. Louis Cardinal first baseman Albert Pujols. Pujols is renowned for his strong bat, solid fielding skills and his ability to consistently get on base. A lifetime .328 batter with a tendency to land near 40 homers per season, the 9-time all-star and 3-time NL MVP will certainly make an impact on his new team. Not to mention the team all signed star lefty, C.J. Wilson, who should make an immediate difference on the team’s pitching rotation. With these two expensive signings, the Angels hope to climb up from the 80-82 finish the posted last year and would like to make a run for first in the division. Expectations are high this year for the Angels, lets see if they can reach them or fall and spend the next few years wondering what could have been.
Los Angeles Lakers
When legendary coach Phil Jackson retired as head coach of the Lakers, any basketball fan could predict that any new coach would face difficulties in their first season as the Lakers new head coach. With that said, no one could expect the drama that has surrounded the Lakers under new head coach Mike Brown. First though, let’s establish that Coach Brown has the Lakers sitting as one of the top four teams in the West heading into the playoffs, which is not bad considering the competition. As a whole, Coach Brown has done an ok job as head coach. The drama falls on his decision to bench superstar Kobe Bryant during a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies and Andrew Bynum a few days later against the Warriors after he took a three-pointer during the game. While some may say Brown crossed lines in his decisions to bench the two stars, I say congratulations. In a season where he is being scrutinized by fans and his organization alike, Brown needs to take control of what he is meant to have control of, his players. So long as he holds strong onto the reigns of the team, then he has a chance to make it in L.A., but Brown has a difficult path ahead of him in earning the team’s respect.
