Letters to Sports: UCLA basketball coaches draw more scrutiny
The Times has published a couple of my letters criticizing UCLA coach Mick Cronin for berating his players and even the crowd for his team's mistakes and losses, instead of taking responsibility himself.
This morning I was happy to read ("UCLA makes it a little too interesting") that Cronin has changed course, at least temporarily, and took responsibility for his team's mistakes in the game against Northwestern.
Coach Cronin's change in tactics and self-reflection is a positive step for UCLA men's basketball. He deserves credit for that. Let's hope he sticks with it!
Ray McKownTorrance
As I was growing up, the NCAA tournament was the everything in sport as John Wooden won 10 national titles. Jim Harrick won the 11th banner in 1996. Sadly, the Bruins have zero chance of winning another with Cronin's screaming. When they lose, Mick will blame his players instead of looking in the mirror.
Fred WallinWestlake Village
After the USC women's basketball team crushed UCLA (80-67) last week one thing became very apparent. To qualify to coach either men's or women's basketball at UCLA you need one of two coaching styles. One being that you are (Mick Cronin/men's team) constantly berating and and yelling at your players instead of staying positive and supporting. Or two, you (Cori Close/women's team) spend more time yelling and complaining to the referees about every call instead of actually coaching your team! Regarding the latter, in the USC victory, the Bruins went to the free-throw line over twice as many times as the Trojans. So, I guess the style didn't work.
Richard WhortonStudio City
Regarding "A Second Look Full of Hope," the Dodgers are stacked with pitchers. Who would risk losing Shohei Ohtani, the $700-million man, for two years by letting him pitch? Not me.
Dennis DohertyWest L.A.
With Hyeseong Kim having his problems in spring training and the Dodgers leaning toward sending him to the minors, are they having "second" thoughts about trading Gavin Lux?
Jeff HershowWoodland Hills
A friend of mine asked me why I watch spring training Dodgers games that don't count. I told him that I watch the spring training games because they count for the players who are trying to make the team, which results in maximum effort both offensively and defensively, resulting in some good baseball.
Vaughn HardenbergWestwood
Dylan Hernández was on point in praising coach JJ Redick and the Lakers' defense in particular. This focus was set in motion when the Lakers acquired Dorian Finney-Smith in late December, coupled with a renewed commitment to defense by LeBron James (who is proving that Father Time can be delayed), and has been bolstered by the return on Jan. 25 of the always-hustling Jarred Vanderbilt. Adding Luka Doncic in February has made Crypto "Lob Land" (Hello, Jaxson Hayes), which has caused the Lakers to leapfrog several teams in the standings. It's an exciting time to be a Lakers' fan.
Ken FeldmanTarzana
Good news, the Rams made the important effort to re-sign quarterback Matthew Stafford. Bad news, they continue to try to unload wide receiver Cooper Kupp, despite his All-Pro resume. Tutu Atwell or Demarcus Robinson are not Cooper Kupp. Do the right thing, Rams, and keep Kupp, thereby giving Stafford another proven target on the way to another championship pursuit.
Marty ZwebenPalos Verdes Estates
After the Southern Section Open Division basketball champion is decided, a few of the lower schools from that division are dropped down into Division 1 for the state playoffs. This drop down does not occur in any other division. Thus, when it comes to CIF state championships, the Southern Section Division 1 champion and other schools from that playoff that moved forward are at a distinct disadvantage as they try to advance to the state championship game. The lower schools in the Open Division should not be moved down, but their season should be over, giving the schools that participated in Division 1 in the Southern Section playoffs a fair chance to move on to the state championship in their division.
Mark KaisermanSanta Monica
I bet Freddy Krueger more closely resembles JuJu Watkins in UCLA's worst nightmares.
Steve RossCarmel
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Los Angeles Times
32 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
The Sports Report: Teoscar Hernández helps Dodgers win finale against Padres
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If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you'd like to see, email me at To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Dodgers trade deadline primer: 3 early storylines to watch
Foolish or not, Andrew Friedman set an outlandish goal last December. Sitting in a suite at the Hilton Anatole hotel in Dallas at baseball's annual Winter Meetings, the Los Angeles Dodgers' president of baseball operations set out a hope for this year's trade deadline. 'My goal is to not buy in July,' Friedman said. 'I am setting that out there right now. My goal is to do everything we can right now to not buy in July. It is terrible. (Knock on) everything. It is a terrible time to acquire talent. We're going to do everything we can to put ourselves in a position to not. Obviously, as we said last year, if we need to, we will. But our goal is to not.' Advertisement That will not happen. The Dodgers' pitching depth is decimated. Their injured list is 14 names long. So yes, the Dodgers will be in the pitching market next month, likely for something Friedman loathes: He hates trading for relievers in July. 'I hate trading for relievers at the deadline,' Friedman said in 2022. 'It's my least favorite thing to do. The acquisition cost is totally out of whack. So I like to avoid it as much as possible.' Still, the Dodgers have found success in doing so. Their three-team trade last year to acquire not just utilityman Tommy Edman but reliever Michael Kopech was a coup. Another impactful trade came last May when they sent cash to the Cleveland Guardians for Anthony Banda, who put up a 3.08 ERA in 48 appearances the rest of the way. They went hard after Tanner Scott last summer, then wound up signing him last winter after he starred post-deadline for the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers will be buyers, as we all expected. It's impossible to rule out the Dodgers if the opportunity presents itself. They'll have the ammunition to get most deals done. Perhaps they are the team that thinks it can get Sandy Alcantara right after struggling in his return from Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers tried to pry Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers last year before swinging a deal with them for Jack Flaherty. Still, the Dodgers are bullish on what they have coming back. They remain optimistic they'll have Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani back in their rotation before long. Roki Sasaki remains a project even when healthy, but he's still in the picture. They've heaped praise on how good Emmet Sheehan has looked while completing his Tommy John rehab. By the numbers, the Dodgers could use starting help. They entered Wednesday having gotten the third-fewest innings out of their starters (317), ahead of just the Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins. Not great company. Their 4.32 ERA ranks 23rd, and their 10.6 percent walk rate was the worst in the majors. Their depth options have largely floundered: Bobby Miller, Landon Knack and Justin Wrobleski have combined for a 6.29 ERA. Advertisement It's just not priority No. 1. The Dodgers still believe they have enough high-end arms coming back from injury. Likely a right-handed reliever, especially in the wake of Evan Phillips undergoing Tommy John surgery and the uncertain futures of Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol. Though the Dodgers still anticipate Treinen returning — he's been playing catch but still has a ways to go — and Graterol is working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, the club could still look to add another high-end arm. Alexis Díaz is among the options, with the Dodgers jumping into the market last month to acquire the former All-Star closer. Ben Casparius is another internal October option. The Dodgers are considering stretching the rookie right-hander as a starter, but he has shown an ability to handle leverage spots and filled a valuable role in the bullpen during last year's postseason run. This is a bullpen that has already taken on the biggest workload in the majors (290 innings entering Wednesday) and could use the fresh arms just to get it to the finish line. The team has already had 30 players throw a pitch for it, including Chris Stratton, José Ureña, J.P. Feyereisen, Ryan Loutos and Yoendrys Gómez. Expect the shuffle to continue. The Dodgers chose offense over defense this winter when acquiring Michael Conforto to go with re-signing Teoscar Hernández to align their corner outfield spots. Except Conforto, who signed a one-year deal worth $17 million to juice up his value, hasn't worked out. Even after Wednesday, when he tied the score with a solo home run in the fifth inning, Conforto has a .600 OPS. That's the eighth worst in baseball among qualified hitters. Michael ties it! — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 11, 2025 As patient as the Dodgers have been with Conforto, it's not as if they're overflowing with options should they move off him. James Outman has largely scuffled in the big leagues since finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2023. Their other 40-man roster outfield options — Esteury Ruiz and Steward Berroa — had been designated for assignment by other clubs. The team hasn't experimented with Dalton Rushing getting reps in the outfield in the big leagues after the catching prospect saw time there in the minor leagues. Advertisement Andy Pages has had a stellar season and has played left field on days when Conforto sits, but he has also shown himself to be a strong defensive center fielder after some early flubs. One could imagine a scenario with Pages in left, Edman in center and Hernández in right in October. Part of the logic in having Mookie Betts play shortstop is decisions like the one facing the Dodgers next month. It's certainly cheaper to find a corner outfield bat than a shortstop at the deadline. Prospect Alex Freeland is an intriguing infield option, if needed, as an internal replacement or a trade option. The Dodgers' offensive needs aren't dire. They entered Wednesday ranked second in baseball in scoring 5.53 runs per game. But they'll monitor the market, just as they did a year ago in acquiring Edman, Kevin Kiermaier and Amed Rosario at the deadline (Rosario lasted just a week before being cut). (Top photo of Anthony Banda: David Frerker / Imagn Images)
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Should Bruins fans want Brad Marchand back, or should they instead look toward a new chapter for the Black & Gold?
But Marchand plays for the enemy now, and he's been busy proving himself one of the best trade deadline acquisitions of all time. As he helps the dreaded Florida Panthers inch closer to a second consecutive championship with timely goals and timeless leadership, Marchand, two wins away from hoisting the Cup, spends seemingly every night reminding the Bruins of what they gave up. Advertisement And no doubt making them wonder if they should pony up the money to bring him back. Emotionally, it's a no-brainer. Marchand is beloved in Boston, a Stanley Cup winner in his first full pro season, a former captain, BFF to Patrice Bergeron, a direct link to better, more competitive times, a fixture among all-time franchise leaders in everything from games played to goals scored to penalty minutes logged. Whenever and however this Stanley Cup Final ends, Marchand will be on target to be an unrestricted free agent July 1. With a new, lucrative contract on his mind, the Bruins might well be among his suitors. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Unless they're not, a real possibility given the sides' inability to agree to an extension during the regular season. And when rational heads take over, there are as many cogent arguments to keep the chapter on Marchand closed for good, to celebrate from afar as he plays out the final years of an extraordinary career elsewhere, and then invite him back for an inevitable jersey retirement ceremony in Boston. Advertisement While the Bruins begin this next franchise phase under new coach Marco Sturm, they would be wiser to follow 'We've got to reestablish the whole thing, because these guys are not here anymore,' Sturm said. 'So now it's going to be up to us and the new group to lead this group to a new era.' Of course it's tough to watch Marchand during this postseason rebirth and not be tempted by his eight playoff goals (fifth among all players), 18 postseason points (seventh), and plus-minus of plus-15 (second) heading into Game 4 Thursday night, in which the Panthers held a 2-1 series lead. Marchand is the oldest player in Cup Final history to score in the first three games of the series. Seriously, what more could he do to prove there is gas left in his 37-year-old tank? Among those eight goals are the Advertisement Quite the impact from a deadline trade that saw Florida surrender only a conditional 2027 second-round pick (which has since become a first-rounder with the Panthers making at least Round 3 of the playoffs). 'He's an exceptional man,' Panthers coach Paul Maurice told reporters over the weekend. 'I've really enjoyed having him.' Sturm would likely enjoy it, too. But the reality of the Bruins' roster is nothing like the one Marchand is on in Florida, where depth reigns so supreme that a man with first-line talent has become a third-line force. Alongside the likes of Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov et al, Marchand is the cherry on the sundae. He puts the Panthers over the top. Back with the Bruins, he would be expected to shoulder the load, be the same player who was left wing on a top line, was first out on the power play, was first out on the penalty kill, all while setting the locker-room vibe. Seems wiser now to let younger players take those roles. Wiser now to watch Marchand earn the spoils of his contributions in Florida, where he has fit in seamlessly inside a locker room that tormented his former team out of the playoffs the last two years. 'I may never get back this late in the playoffs ever again in my career,' Marchand said during this playoff run. 'To be one of the last teams standing and being part of a great group of guys, these are memories that I want to remember and enjoy.' Advertisement Tara Sullivan is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
