Congratulations fellow sports fans, we’ve made it through another summer slumber. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the subtle nuances of baseball and Alex Rodriguez’ fall from grace as much as the next guy, but the real sports busy season is upon us. College football has returned, the first NFL Sunday is up next, followed […]

Nothing ages us more than the end of professional athletic careers. In a world where shelf lives are brief and flames burn out in an instant, premier sports stars are fortunate to compete longer than a single decade. There is always a newer, shinier model on the lot. And father time, as you will undoubtedly […]

Amid the reliable sounds of playoff drama and Stanley Cup passion, it’s easy to forget that for 26 NHL franchises whose seasons have ended, next year’s plans have already begun. Salary caps have been examined, front office moves have been debated, and the general wellbeing of the organization has been the primary concern for each […]

The plight of a superstar is very difficult. The collective effort of a group’s parts determines success in professional team sports, but the brunt of their failure will fall squarely on the shoulders of the franchise player. It takes a village to achieve a set of goals, and yet one individual will unquestionably receive the […]

How do we define success in the world around us? There are short-term achievements, notable accolades, and the general recognition of a job well done. But what if the job isn’t completed just yet? What if the standards change over the time, goals are elevated, and there’s more work to be done? Success, for better or […]

This is it. The margin for error is long gone. All of the trials and tribulations, successes, and Stanley Cup dreams for the 2015-16 Los Angeles Kings comes down to this. Facing a 3-1 series deficit to the detested, yet undeniably respected San Jose Sharks, the Kings are left with no choice. They have to […]

Somewhere in the L.A. Kings organizational mantra, there is a section about doing things the hard way. There has to be right? It would have been much easier in 2012 to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history with a seed higher than eight. A lot of time and energy and could have been […]

When the Anaheim Ducks defeated the junior varsity Washington Capitals in the final game of the 2015-16 NHL season, the playoff picture was officially set. The win gave Anaheim their fourth straight division title, and placed the Los Angeles Kings immediately in the cross-hairs of a familiar foe. Fill it up again, because it’s Sharks […]

I prefer to enjoy the humor in sports. The athletic industry has its own wing in the entertainment sector of the world, and as such there are plenty of feel-good elements to each game. Certain aspects can bring out the lighter side of such a stress filled environment, and allow consumers to thoroughly appreciate sports […]

It’s not hyperbole when I say that this year might feature the most wide-open Stanley Cup Playoffs in recent memory. Anybody can win the NHL postseason tournament, similar to an audience member securing a free car on an episode of Oprah. But then again, only one team will win. A wide open race is still […]

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: father time is undefeated. No matter how hard you train, how disciplined you remain, or how much you preserve your physical and mental health, all athletes eventually deteriorate over time. The game of hockey exemplifies this long-standing mantra with grueling seasons and amounts of physical punishment that […]

The clock is winding down on the NHL season, which means the real marathon is about to begin. In less than a month, you’ll hear those special words. No more casual matchups. No more throwaway games up in Rochester. And no more trips to Toronto or Edmonton to boost your club’s self-esteem. The words are […]

Championships are earned. It makes no difference if you are a perennial titan or a unaccomplished newcomer in the grand scheme of athletics. Nothing will be handed out, and no title will be won easily. The NHL teaches this lesson vividly, where teams of all shapes, skill, and levels of competence face the exact same […]

It takes a lot to be super-villain in the world of sports. Not just anybody can be universally despised by an entire fan base, or have the ability to ignite a rivalry at a moment’s notice. The best villains have game, making sure that everyone cares enough to hate them. Each has passion because without it […]

Another trade deadline has come and gone, and the Los Angeles Kings again refused to be passive bystanders. Of course, they didn’t shock the world this year, and bring in any high-priced dynamos to raise the team’s energy level like a triple expresso shot. The Kings didn’t have to do that this year, given their […]

A note for first-timers rink rats and novice hockey supporters: not everything in this beautiful game makes sense. There are ridiculous trades, boneheaded plays, and referee interpretations of “goalie interference” that makes my head nearly explode. And then we have this recent trend for the Los Angeles Kings, a team poised to return to the […]

I’m a fan of the show “Seinfeld.” The group dynamics, the ridiculousness of everyday activities, and the general buffoonery of friends in the real world just does it for me. Heck, I’ve even used the classic George Costanza line: “Was that wrong? Should I not have done that?” to explain a professional mistake or two. […]

There’s a lot to like about this current edition of the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick’s still turning away pucks like a hostile bouncer in West Hollywood, the premier forwards are leading by example, and as evident in the team’s 9-2 drubbing of the Boston Bruins, the scoring depth has never looked better in L.A.. […]

You never know the true value of something until it’s reduced. Those clean white sneakers you own are an under-appreciated accessory, that is until they get dirty and scuffed up. That’s when anger sets in, followed by panic. I need those. I need those shoes. I need them to be at their best. Still with […]

I swear I’ve thought this one through. The Los Angeles Kings  just passed the halfway point of their season, and have built a somewhat comfortable perch atop the struggling Pacific Division. Given the manner in which the team has played, and the general miscues that the rest of the division seems to endure on a […]