As Hamas, Israel battle, all eyes on Hezbollah to the north

• October 12, 2023

By Kareem Chehayeb and Abby Sewell | Associated Press

BEIRUT — Will Lebanon’s heavily armed Hezbollah militia join the Israel-Hamas war? The answer could well determine the direction of a battle that is bound to reshape the Middle East.

Hezbollah, which like Hamas is supported by Iran, has so far been on the fence about joining the fighting between Israel and the Gaza Strip’s Islamic militant rulers. For the past six days, Israel has besieged Gaza and hammered the enclave of 2.3 million Palestinians with hundreds of airstrikes in response to a deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel.

Israel, which has vowed to crush Hamas, is now preparing for a possible ground offensive. While the country’s political and military leaders weigh the next move, they are nervously watching Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border and have sent troop reinforcements to the area. Hezbollah, with an arsenal of tens of thousands of rockets and missiles capable of hitting virtually anywhere in Israel, is viewed as a far more formidable foe than Hamas.

Israel is anxious that opening a new front in the country’s north could change the tide of the war, with Hezbollah’s military caliber far superior to that of Hamas. But the fighting could be equally devastating for Hezbollah and Lebanon.

The possibility of a new front in Lebanon also brings back bitter memories of a vicious monthlong war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006 that ended in a stalemate and a tense detente between the two sides. Lebanon is in the fourth year of a crippling economic crisis and is bitterly divided between Hezbollah and its allies and opponents, paralyzing the political system.

Israel is especially worried about Hezbollah’s precision-guided missiles, which are believed to be aimed at strategic targets like natural gas rigs and power stations. Hezbollah is also battle-hardened from years of fighting alongside President Bashar Assad’s troops in neighboring Syria.

At the same time, Hamas and Hezbollah have grown closer as Hamas leaders have moved to Beirut in recent years. While Hezbollah has largely remained on the sidelines, people close to the group say an Israeli ground offensive could be a possible trigger for it to fully enter the conflict with devastating consequences.

Qassim Qassir, a Lebanese analyst close to the group, said Hezbollah “will not allow Hamas’ destruction and won’t leave Gaza alone to face a ground incursion.”

“When the situation requires further escalation, then Hezbollah will do so,” he told The Associated Press.

An official with a Lebanese group familiar with the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said Hezbollah fighters have been placed on full alert.

Hezbollah and Israel have targeted military outposts and positions in brief rocket and shelling exchanges on the border since the outbreak of the Gaza war. Three Hezbollah fighters were killed Monday, while Israeli officials said one Israeli soldier was killed in an anti-tank missile attack two days later.

Three Israeli soldiers were killed and five were wounded in a skirmish with Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants who crossed the southern Lebanese border into Israel. Hamas also claimed responsibility for firing several rockets into Israel from southern Lebanon.

Anthony Elghossain, a senior analyst with the Washington-based New Lines Institute, said that while neither Israel nor Hezbollah appears to want to enter “significant and sustained armed conflict,” there is a risk of escalation — even without a ground invasion of Gaza — if either side makes a miscalculation and oversteps the usual rules of engagement.

With an eye toward Hezbollah, U.S. President Joe Biden has warned other players in the Middle East not to join the conflict, sending American warships to the region and vowing full support for Israel.

“He’s backed up that warning with the deployment of our largest carrier group, the Gerald R. Ford, as well as again making sure that Israel has what it needs and that we also have appropriate assests in place,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday during a stop in Israel.

While Hezbollah officials and legislators have threatened escalation, their leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has remained silent since Hamas’ surprise weekend attack. The group in its public statements has said that they are continuing to monitor the situation. A spokesperson for Hezbollah did not respond to requests for comment.

An Israeli military spokesman, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, said in a video briefing posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the situation is “relatively stable on the northern front.”

“We are monitoring the situation so that it doesn’t change,” he said. “We are deployed in significant numbers, strength and capabilities … and we are very vigilant to any attempt by Hezbollah to escalate the situation.”

A Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said international governments have urged Lebanese authorities to keep the crisis-hit country away from a new war.

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Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called Thursday on all Lebanese groups to exercise self restraint and not to be pulled into “Israel’s plans,” an apparent message to Hezbollah. He said Lebanon condemns “criminal acts committed by Israel” saying that it is “wiping out children and civilians” and called on the international community to work on ending hostilities.

Israeli leaders have repeatedly warned that they would unleash vast destruction in southern Lebanon if war breaks out with Lebanon.

Israel in 2006 flattened large parts of villages, towns and cities in southern Lebanon and entire blocks in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Following the war, Lebanon received an influx of international funding, including from wealthy Gulf countries, for reconstruction.

However, as Hezbollah has gained power, Lebanon’s ties with Gulf monarchies have soured and the international community has grown frustrated with rampant corruption and mismanagement. On top of that, Lebanon’s government institutions are cash-strapped and dysfunctional.

“If war were to start now, we would be looking at a much slower and more complicated reconstruction,” said Mona Fawaz, a professor of urban studies and planning at the American University of Beirut.

Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report

​ Orange County Register 

Alexander: Who is to blame for yet another Dodgers playoff failure?

• October 12, 2023

So, Dodger fans, who do you blame?

It has become an ugly October ritual in L.A., one that’s been avoided only once over the last 11 years. A team whose goal is, and should be, a World Series championship falls short, and the finger-pointing begins.

Most of those fingers, at least from the fan base, will be aimed squarely at Dave Roberts, as usual. And if one move in Wednesday night’s National League Division Series sweep-clinching victory by the Arizona Diamondbacks encapsulated the fans’ problem with the manager, it was the sight of Roberts perfectly still along the dugout railing while Lance Lynn dug a hole his team could not escape.

It’s such an easy second-guess that even I’ll pile on. Didn’t the manager see anything after the second of the D-Backs’ record four homers in an inning, Ketel Marte’s 428-foot bomb that made it 2-0, that would have prodded him to make a change? Especially when Roberts had talked going in about treating this as a Game 7? Three of the four home run pitches were right around the heart of the hitting zone, none were above 91.7 mph, all were straight, and shouldn’t that have been enough of a tipoff?

Middle/middle is no way to succeed. https://t.co/Obiqsv1oM2

— Jim_Alexander (@Jim_Alexander) October 12, 2023

But we need to go way deeper than the “blame the manager” reflex.

Lynn, the major leagues’ regular season leader in home runs allowed, was pitching Wednesday night because he was the guy management settled for at the trade deadline in what should have been a desperate quest for starting pitching. Major injuries (Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin) created that desperation, and a horrible, horrible life decision (Julio Urías) after the deadline had passed exacerbated it. The two guys they wound up with when the smoke cleared on Aug. 1 were Lynn and Ryan Yarbrough, a starter-bulk guy who was effective in both roles during the season but for some reason wasn’t included on the postseason roster.

So yes, point some fingers directly at President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman and General Manager Brandon Gomes. And let it be noted that when so many other pursuits for pitching fell through at the deadline, I noted at the time: “The first report card will come sometime in October.”

It was a resounding F.

How else should we divide the blame pie? Do we point fingers at hitting coaches Robert Van Scoyoc and Aaron Bates? The slumps that enveloped Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman at the worst possible time (a combined 1 for 21) had a devastating effect on a team that averaged 5.59 runs in the regular season but scored two per game when it mattered most.

And does pitching coach Mark Prior get the blame for the inability of starting pitchers Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller and Lynn to get through as many as three innings? That was jaw-dropping, and it was a total switch – the starters letting down the bullpen, instead of the reverse.

(Those are facetious suggestions, of course. The guys who play can’t get it done, and the coaches and managers ultimately get the blame. That’s baseball.)

So who bears the responsibility for the roster composition? The Dodgers carried 13 position players for the NLDS but left right-handed hitting Amed Rosario off the roster in favor of lefty Kolten Wong. Wong was 0 for 2 with a walk in the series, and a serious right-handed bat was unavailable with the bases loaded and a 4-2 score in the seventh inning on Wednesday night, the game there for the taking against incoming reliever Andrew Saalfrank. Instead, light-hitting (and right-handed) Austin Barnes grounded out on one pitch to end the threat and, ultimately, the season.

All of these little moments added up to one big frustrating trend, again. This is now three times in the last five years that 100-plus victory Dodger seasons have ended in the NLDS.

Of course, if you want to elevate the postseason at the expense of the regular season, then we should hear no more about the 60-game sprint in 2020 leading to a cheap championship, especially since the Dodgers went through four playoff rounds, the last three in a COVID-19 bubble.

Oh, and has anyone seen Corey Seager lately? He has a shot at another ring with the Texas Rangers, playing in the same park where he hit seven home runs while earning NLCS and World Series MVP honors in ’20. Letting him walk was a mistake.

It’s easy to forget that this was considered a transition year of sorts for the Dodgers going in. Even before projected shortstop Gavin Lux wrecked his knee in a spring training game, it was apparent with a series of offseason moves obviously made to trim payroll and hoard its resources, the better to make a run at a certain left-handed hitting pitcher/DH who will be a free agent this winter. (And if Shohei Ohtani does choose the Dodgers, given that he won’t be able to pitch until 2025 while recovering from elbow surgery, why, he’ll fit right in.)

The tattered remnants of this year’s pitching rotation made it easy to forget that when the Dodgers were knocked out by San Diego in four games last October their rotation was likewise in flux, though nowhere near as ragged as this year’s. When your starters give up almost as many runs (13) as they record outs (14), as they did against the D-Backs, that’s failure of historic proportions.

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And maybe this, from last year’s playoff postmortem, bears repeating: “The old adage is that you can never have enough pitching. Maybe old adages should still have a place amid today’s analytics-fueled, executive-dominant baseball.”

We heard it so often during the season, how harmonious a clubhouse the Dodgers had, how guys got along and played for each other, etc. But the fist pumps at first base and (as colleague Mirjam Swanson wonderfully described them) Inflatable Man dances at second base seem hollow when things go south. There are enough veterans in that clubhouse for someone to stand up and inspire or hold others accountable. Did anybody do so in this case?

Maybe it’s time for someone at the top of the organization to speak out, be it team president Stan Kasten or chairman and controlling owner Mark Walter. And this should be the message: Going out in the first round is unacceptable, so either fix it or there will be changes … and they won’t begin and end in the manager’s office.

[email protected]

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts looks on from the dugout during the first inning of Game 3 of their National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night in Phoenix. Roberts allowing starting pitcher Lance Lynn to remain in the game long enough to allow four solo home runs – all of them coming in the third inning – was being called managerial malpractice by some Dodgers fans the day after another 100-win season was followed by an early playoff exit. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

​ Orange County Register 

Kings place Viktor Arvidsson on long-term injured reserve

• October 12, 2023

The Kings had two days off between games but when you’ve taken a job as a tightrope-walker in the NHL’s salary-cap circus, eventful moments are often unscheduled.

De-scheduled were the team’s practice and media availability Thursday, however the Kings confirmed that winger Viktor Arvidsson has been placed on long-term injured reserve. Arvidsson is in his third season with the Kings, having proven a prolific and versatile winger who put up 108 points in 143 games while playing in all situations in two years as a King.

Additionally, they sent Arthur Kaliyev and Alex Laferriere to the minors, while recalling Alex Turcotte and Brandt Clarke. Both Kaliyev and Laferriere’s demotions are mere paper transactions and they should return to the Kings imminently. Turcotte and Clarke’s purpose was less clear. They could also be paper transactions, but Arvidsson’s placement on LTIR could also open up the possibility of carrying a full roster after dressing just 19 players on opening night due to salary-cap constraints.

“Arvy isn’t going to be with us for awhile, I’ll break that news for you,” said Kings coach Todd McLellan said Wednesday after a 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

McLellan then said he was uncertain whether the lower-body injury Arvidsson sustained this week in practice would require surgery. He also lauded rookie Laferriere, who made his NHL debut thanks, in part, to Arvidsson’s absence as well as that of the suspended Kaliyev, whose ban will be lifted after Sunday’s match against the Carolina Hurricanes. Laferriere will likely stick around a bit longer, though Clarke and/or Turcotte could end up being the sort of paper transaction the Kings will make on an almost daily basis this season to accrue cap space for the trade deadline, or it could be a real opportunity for the two former top-10 picks.

The opening week of the 2023-24 season has offered a bizarre parallel with the final days of the 2021-22 campaign. In both instances, Arvidsson left practice abruptly and was not available afterward. What was described as a personal issue through laughter and smiles turned out to be a herniated disc that precluded him from playing in the playoffs and nearly forced him to miss the following season’s opener. Earlier this week, Arvidsson again left practice in a hurry. McLellan described Arvidsson as needing “an adjustment” and said he would be fine. Yet a day later, Arvidsson was day-to-day with a lower-body injury, the following day he was ruled out of both the first two games and now he has been placed on LTIR. Despite the nebulous nature of the revelations, it seemed more like a cautious approach rather than a deceitful one from McLellan, and General Manager Rob Blake later clarified the timeline in detail publicly in both instances.

While a timetable for Arvidsson’s return is not yet known, NHL rules stipulate that a player placed on LTIR must miss at least 24 calendar days of action and 10 regular-season games.

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​ Orange County Register 

Dan Albano’s 5 questions that are key to Mater Dei football’s game vs. St. John Bosco

• October 12, 2023

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Dan Albano’s biggest questions for Mater Dei in its showdown against St. John Bosco on Friday:

1. Can Mater Dei’s defense continue to dominate?

Mater Dei has produced some outstanding defenses over the years but this 2023 version is making a case that it’s one of the best.

Here’s one statistic that shows the unit’s dominance: 43 points allowed.

Yes, Mater Dei has technically allowed only 43 points, or 6.1 points per game during its 7-0 start. But remember, Centennial of Corona returned an interception for a touchdown against the Monarchs in the season opener, and Bingham of Utah returned a kickoff for a score the next week. Those touchdowns weren’t against the defense so one could argue that the Monarchs’ defense has allowed only 29 points or 4.1 points.

The defense also hasn’t allowed any points the past nine quarters.

JSerra quarterback Michael Tollefson, left, is sacked by Mater Dei in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, October 6, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Mater Dei’s unit is built on speed and aggressiveness, the latter of which often surfaces with one-on-one coverage in the secondary and blitzing.

The key for Mater Dei’s defense will be handling St. John Bosco’s running game led by UCLA commit Cameron Jones, an imposing 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior who has averaged 134.5 yards per game rushing in two Trinity League games.

The Braves certainly noticed that Centennial Corona’s Cornell Hatcher rushed for 105 yards against the Monarchs in the season opener.

2. Will Mater Dei’s defense force any turnovers?

OK, it might seem like Mater Dei could be asking a lot from its defense but forcing turnovers has been one of the unit’s trademarks in recent league games against the Braves.

In the 2021 game played in the spring, the Monarchs forced a key fumble and grabbed two interceptions in 34-17 win. And last season, they collected two more interceptions in a 17-7 triumph.

The game between those two — in the fall of 2021 — was largely decided by a five-TD performance by Mater Dei quarterback Elijah Brown.

RELATED: https://www.youtube.com/embed/z27zIf8z_iA“>Fryer’s preview and prediction for Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco

3. Will Mater Dei’s Elijah Brown raise his game once again vs. the Braves?

Mater Dei senior quarterback Elijah Brown is 3-0 against St. John Bosco in league games with 585 yards, nine touchdown and zero interceptions.

Mater Dei doesn’t need another massive performance from Brown to win but it would certainly take some pressure off the ground attack and defense if his mastery against the Braves in league continues.

Quarterback play, of course, is always pivotal.

In the two games that Mater Dei and St. John Bosco struggled in this season, neither quarterback threw a touchdown.

Brown was blanked in the Monarchs’ 20-7 victory at St. Frances of Baltimore, Md. while Sanchez was shutout in a 30-23 loss at Kahuku of Hawaii.

4. Will two of Mater Dei’s top seniors play?

Last week in a 42-0 victory against JSerra, Texas-committed offensive tackle Brandon Baker and Alabama-committed cornerback Zabien Brown didn’t appear to start for Mater Dei.

One of the Monarchs’ strength is its depth. Sophomore Jeremiah Ponce started at right tackle for Baker while Chuck McDonald started at corner for Brown.

Mater Dei offensive tackle Brandon Baker (73) at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Thursday, July 6, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

But Friday is the biggest game of the regular season, so it’s worth monitoring whether Baker or Brown play.

They’ve been first-team All-County players, and Brown intercepted a pass against St. John Bosco last season in league.

5. How will Mater Dei handle the role of favorite while playing its first game in the rivalry under coach Frank McManus?

The weight of Coach Bruce Rollinson’s final game, including an emotional sendoff at Santa Ana Stadium in the semifinals, seemed to catch up with Mater Dei on the Rose Bowl grass last season in the CIF-SS Division 1 final. The Monarchs just couldn’t finish at the end in a 24-22 loss against St. John Bosco.

The Braves’ late defensive stand certainly played a major factor.

Mater Dei is loaded with players driven to make amends for that loss but they need to first navigate Friday on the road as the favorite.

The Monarchs, ranked No. 1 in the nation by multiple polls, need stay focused from the coaching staff to the players.

Mater Dei coach Frank McManus during a nonleague football opener game against Centennial in Corona on Friday, Aug 18, 2023. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

First-year coach Frank McManus has coached in the rivalry as an assistant but now takes on veteran St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro, who has enjoyed his share of success against Mater Dei.

In the season opener, veteran Centennial Corona coach Matt Logan played his up-tempo style but added a few trick plays, especially on special teams. Mater Dei still won, and should take this one, but how will the night go emotionally for the Orange County juggernaut?

Yes, the Monarchs have been ultra-focused under McManus — especially on defense — but will they look tight or will they embrace the challenge of a big-game atmosphere.

Elijah Brown, for one, can show them how to perform in the spotlight but Rollinson often exceled in these moments. Now, it’s an opportunity for this Mater Dei squad to show it’s mettle without the legendary coach.

RELATED: Trinity League Football Podcast

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​ Orange County Register 

Sprouts unveils state-of-the-art distribution center in Fullerton

• October 12, 2023

Sprouts Farmers Market held a grand opening Thursday, Oct. 12 for a state-of-the-art distribution center in Fullerton that’s designed to shorten product delivery times and enhance the freshness of produce shipped to Sprouts markets.

The 337,000-square-foot facility, at 1829 E. Orangethorpe Ave., began operation in April and currently serves more than 95 Sprouts locations within a 250-mile radius. It’s equipped with temperature-controlled “ripening rooms” that are kept at 34 and 55 degrees to support the ripening process.

“This ensures optimal conditions for produce storage, providing shoppers perfectly ripe avocados and bananas,” Sprouts CEO Jack Sinclair said.

Sprouts said the center, which employs more than 190 workers, will reduce transportation-related emissions by shaving an estimated 725,000 miles from current delivery routes due to its closer proximity to stores.

The Fullerton facility is just 26 miles from Los Angeles, for example, while the company’s next closest distribution center in Union City, Ca. is 368 miles away.

The Phoenix-based grocer operates additional distribution centers in Aurora, Colo. Glendale, Ariz. Orlando, Fla., Wilmer, Texas and East Point, Ga.

A recent survey from Deloitte show that 68% of shoppers are willing to pay top dollar for fresh foods. On average, consumers will pay up to 28% more for fresh food as opposed to frozen, canned or processed alternatives.

But at least 80% of consumers and grocers think food suppliers have raised prices more than necessary to increase their profits.

Price is a top consideration when buying fresh foods, the study said, but consumers also look more to information related to supply chain and sustainability.

The Fullerton facility incorporates Sprouts’ dedication to sustainability with 11 electric vehicle charging stations for employee use and an EV terminal truck to assist with daily yard operations. The grocery chain also plans to incorporate solar panels at the center.

The distribution center will also support and expand Sprouts’ farm partnerships with a variety of local growers, including Eco Farms in Temecula, Cyma Orchids in Oxnard, Valdivia Farms in Carslbad and Windset Farms in Santa Maria, among others.

To celebrate the opening of the Fullerton distribution center, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation is awarding $65,000 to support new school gardening and nutrition education programs at Maple Elementary School and Commonwealth Elementary School in Fullerton.

The Deloitte report further notes that 91% of consumers believe a wholesome diet includes fresh food, while 64% of grocery retail executives say fresh food is the most important department for their company’s sales growth plan over the next 12-36 months.

In recent years, grocery retailer have faced a host of challenges. On top of rising costs and growing inflation, they have dealt with major supply chain disruptions — from shipping delays to labor shortages.

Sprouts’ most recent second-quarter earnings report shows the company generated $1.7 billion in net sales and opened six new stores. The company’s same store sales were up 3.2% for the quarter.

Headquartered in Phoenix, Sprouts employs about 31,000 workers and operates more than 400 stores throughout the U.A.

​ Orange County Register 

Fryer: Proposal to ensure athletic trainers are certified deserves support

• October 12, 2023

Whenever a high school athlete is injured it’s always a relief to see an athletic trainer hustling to the athlete to render assistance.

It would be better for all, especially the athletes’ parents, to be certain that the trainer has the certified qualifications to render that assistance.

California Assembly Bill 796 is making its way through the portals of state legislature. The bill would require that anyone who works as a high school sports athletic trainer is registered with the state as a trainer after having been certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA).

CIF Southern Section commissioner Mike West started his work in high school sports as an athletic trainer at Ayala High School in 1994 and would become president of the California Athletic Trainers Association. He has plenty of interest and expertise in the field of athletic trainers.

West said the bill would ensure that high school sports athletic trainers are qualified to care for injured athletes, in games and matches and at practices.

“This would enable us to regulate the profession of athletic trainers,” said West, in his first year as CIF-SS commissioner. “The certified athletic trainer who is certified by the NATA would have to register in the state so we know who they are. You couldn’t call yourself an athletic trainer and provide athletic training services.”

Several Orange County school districts require that only certified trainers can work as trainers at their contests. Anaheim Union High School District and the Santa Ana Unified School District are among them.

Dr. Mike Shepard is an orthopaedic surgeon at the Orthopaedic Specialty Institute and serves as the team doctor for Servite. He has also served in that role for UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton and the Angels. He is an advocate for getting certified trainers at high school sporting events.

“California is the only state that does not certify athletic trainers,” Shepard said. “The idea of making certified athletic trainers more of a mainstream thing to have on campus is a good thing. With the emphasis on athletics at our schools, safety should be emphasized for school athletics.”

Athletic trainers have saved lives. Making sure that all high school athletic trainers have the qualifications required to take care of athletes is something everyone should support.

NOTES

• St. John Bosco football coach Jason Negro publicy is using the “nobody believes we can win” stuff so of course he has been telling that to Braves players all week leading to Friday’s game against Mater Dei at St. John Bosco’s Panish Family Stadium. …

• The game sold out in three minutes after tickets went on sale Monday. Capacity at Panish is 5,000. Bally West SoCal will televise the game live, and the NFHS Network will live stream the game. …

Mater Dei fans cheer as their team takes the field before the start of the Trinity League football game against St. John Bosco in Santa Ana on Friday, October 7, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

• West said he will attend Friday’s high school football game at SoFi Stadium, where Downey plays against Warren. That stadium, home of the Chargers and Rams, is not a site for any of this year’s CIF-SS football championship games. It might be in future seasons if a rental fee and associated costs are acceptable to the CIF-SS group. …

• The Orange County Cross Country Championships are Friday and Saturday at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado. Dana Hills’ boys team is ranked No. 1 in the country by PrepCalTrack.com. The Dolphins, who have the county’s top runner in junior Evan Noonan, is the favorite to win the boys team championship, but they could get a good challenge from San Clemente and its top runner, senior Brett Ephraim. …

• Noonan finished third last week in the Clovis Invitational that was run at Woodward Park, which is also the site for the CIF State finals on Nov. 23. JSerra’s girls team was the Clovis Invitational team champion, led by Sophie Polay’s 10th-place finish. JSerra’s Kayla Tasser finished 12th. JSerra’s incredibly deep girls team should win the girls team title at the O.C. Championships by a large margin.

• Trabuco Hills junior Holly Barker is the one to beat in the girls competition at the Orange County Championships. Barker likes the progress of her season that includes winning the Central Park Invitational on Sept. 30 and is looking forward to this weekend’s race. “I just want to go out with confidence and carry out the pace that I know I’m capable of,” she said. …

• Senior Vyctorious Miller has returned to the Crean Lutheran boys basketball team. He was All-Orange County first team as a sophomore at Crean Lutheran during the 2021-22 season, when he averaged 20 points a game. Miller, who was at Compass High in Arizona last school year, will be a candidate for county player of the year. …

• Mater Dei’s boys basketball team will play St. John Bosco at Crypto.com Arena, home of the Lakers and Clippers, as part of the six-game Coastal Catholic Classic on Jan. 6. That will add a new entry to the list of Southern California arenas where Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight has coached. The list includes the Forum, Los Angeles Sports Arena, Honda Center, Pauley Pavilion, Anaheim Convention Center and Galen Center. …

• Among the new rules in place for the 2024 baseball season: Electronic communication devices are permissible from the dugout to the catcher while the team is on defense for the purpose of calling pitches.

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​ Orange County Register 

Swanson: UCLA backup QB Chase Griffin is an NIL star with a bright future

• October 12, 2023

LOS ANGELES — I had to ask Chase Griffin if he had any advice.

I’d just chatted with eighth-grade basketball prodigy Sydney Douglas and her family about the evolving frontier of college athletics: “All the stuff we would get in trouble for is now legal,” said Sydney’s mom, Maylana Martin, a UCLA women’s basketball great. “That’s the most pressure, to be honest, because … you make the majority of your money between now and when you graduate from college. And so that puts a lot of pressure on every move that we make right now.”

Who better to ask for directions than Griffin, twice the NIL Male Athlete of the Year recipient at the NIL Summit?

One of the Bruins’ backup quarterbacks, he has become a brand unto himself, an influential online ambassador-type for everything from Degree deodorant to Dunkin’ Donuts, from JPMorgan Chase to Postmates, and so many more companies that I could fill a column with their names if I wanted to.

Instead, I’ll share what Griffin – who, you should know, is so much more than a football-playing pitchman – would tell a kid with the potential to build a lucrative NIL portfolio: “I would say, the same things that got you to the success are going to sustain you.”

“Athletes, by nature, are built to create value,” said Griffin, who is a 23-year-old senior who is working toward his third degree. “We already have, it’s just finally that we’re slowly but surely getting more access to the value we create. And then content is important. Show as much or as little as you want, but understand that content is the most surefire way to work with brands.”

Content, in Griffin’s case, mostly means DIY social posts that he writes, produces, stars in and scores (!), with help from an editor. They’re often shot in his college dorm room, and incorporate elements of his daily life, such as, say, a pair of posts featuring him watching an NFL Sunday on DirecTV – which earned him $2,400, as we saw on a recent Bloomberg video.

His dad, Will Griffin – whose background is in banking, law and tech ethics – lends contractual oversight. But otherwise, this is Chase’s show, his education.

He finds the time, he makes the deals, he delivers the content. He stacks wins.

“I’ve gotten to a point where I consider myself one of the best producers in the branded content space,” Griffin said during a recent interview that he squeezed between practice and a Zoom call 40 minutes later. “And that’s not athlete-branded, just all branding content.”

Are you wondering how a guy who has played in only seven games since arriving in Westwood in 2020 from Round Rock, Texas, has become an NIL darling, with more than 30 deals?

Well, I could trace the route for you, as others have. Start with how he’d already been networking and trying to build his brand before the Supreme Court reversed the NCAA’s decades-long policy that limited what benefits student-athletes could receive in regard to their name, image and likeness.

And then how, when NIL became a real thing, Griffin could boast he had the Pac-12’s highest passer rating (151.1) in his four games as a freshman, and how he’d started to build a “good followship” online. How, most importantly, he had “no blemishes” to his name.

How his first deal, with Degree, led to opportunities with Shell and Champs Sports, and how those partnerships put him on ESPN, which netted him still more opportunities, which led to more coverage, which … you see the pattern.

But I’d rather tell you more about why he’s been so successful in this realm.

“He has first-rate intelligence and a first-class temperament,” Will Griffin said.

His son, born at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, was mathing and reading and starting his ascent toward becoming a chamber orchestra violinist at 3, with help from his mom, Christine, who taught middle school at Harvard-Westlake when Chase was young.

“He knows who he is and he’s not afraid to live his life in the public eye,” Will said. “I think he will wind up going into public service. I think it’ll be electoral politics because, more or less, that’s the path he’s on. I think he’ll see the impact he wants to have in the world and realize you do have to have your hands on the levers to make it happen.

“That’s where the quarterback thing goes back to; it’s more fun to play than to be on the sideline.”

Football has taught Chase that, and much else.

In high school, he was the 5-foot-10 star QB who started for three seasons in a one-high school town, threw for more than 10,000 yards and did countless interviews. He also helped promote a county bond that funded the construction of an on-campus robotics lab and upgrades to the Hutto football stadium – including a “small-college equivalent” press box, said Thomas Jones, a sportswriter who covered Griffin for the Austin American-Statesman.

“Hutto, 20 years ago, was part of a small farming town on the edge of Austin, but now it’s a booming suburb,” Jones said. “And when that bond passed, I think Chase could see Hutto growing. So not only did he put in the effort to help his high school in the moment, but he was thinking five, 10 years down the road.”

At UCLA, Griffin wishes he’d had more opportunities to lead the Bruins to victories, but he’s been winning, anyway. He’s earned an undergraduate degree in public affairs and a master’s degree in education, and he’s now working toward a master’s in legal studies.

A devoted Christian, he has launched the Chase Griffin Foundation, which is donating $11 – his jersey number – for every point the Bruins score throughout the 2023 season to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. So he didn’t play in Saturday’s 25-17 victory over Washington State, but he contributed: $275 to combat food insecurity. Think about that as you’re watching the No. 18 Bruins take on No. 15 Oregon State in Corvallis on Saturday.

He’s served as a representative in the Bruin Athletic Council leadership group, as part of the Pac-12’s Student-Athlete Leadership Team that helped the Pac-12 navigate returning to play during COVID, and other such committees, including the one that helped select Martin Jarmond as UCLA’s athletic director. And he was an intern with an economic development think tank for former L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti that raised more than $40 million.

Is it any wonder his teammates call him “President Chase”?

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“There’s always those most-likely-to-succeed kids, people will say, ‘He could be president one day,’” Will Griffin said. “I don’t think he ever really loved the thought of actually running for office, but he would be damn good in office.”

No, I didn’t get Chase to announce his candidacy. He didn’t, however, spike the idea of someday trying to stack political wins alongside all of his NIL victories.

“I think eventually,” Chase said. “Whether it be in California, Texas or nationally, I definitely see it in the cards, being able to just affect people in a way where it makes life more peaceful and increases quality of life for them. So whether it’s through politics, on the philanthropic side, or in another way, that’ll be the route that I take.

“And I have no qualms about which one it is – similar to being a quarterback. You go out there, you have an idea of who you’re gonna throw it to before the play. But you’ve got to go through the read. You gotta take what the defense gives you, and if you keep taking what the defense gives you, they’ll give you the game.”

This Summer I will be producing/dropping new Visual NIL Ad Creative. Here is my personal top 10 (in no particular order).

I am grateful to all of the brand partners who have entrusted me as a brand ambassador & creative director – including the ones featured in this thread.

— Chase Griffin (@ChaseQB11) May 31, 2023

​ Orange County Register 

Cause of death deferred for disgraced USC gynecologist as alleged victims seek full autopsy

• October 12, 2023

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Thursday that it performed an examination of George Tyndall, the former USC campus gynecologist who was found dead at his home last week while awaiting trial for alleged sexual misconduct with 16 patients.

“An examination was performed, and the cause of death has been deferred,” a spokeswoman for the Medical Examiner’s Office told City News Service, while adding that “no autopsy was done.”

“An external exam includes looking for any external signs of trauma,” according to the Medical Examiner’s Office. “Based on the examination and the circumstances surrounding the death, an autopsy may be required to determine the cause and manner of death.

“Cases are deferred when the deputy medical examiner is requesting further investigation/studies into the death. Due to the ongoing death investigation, the department cannot disclose what is being conducted, nor a time frame of when the case will be closed,” according to the coroner’s office.

The office issued a statement last week saying it did not plan to perform an autopsy, because “there was a history of natural disease that explains Mr. Tyndall’s sudden death with no suspicious circumstances for foul play, suicide or toxins playing a role in his death.”

The 76-year-old man’s body was subsequently moved to the coroner’s office on Monday.

The decision not to perform a full autopsy angered attorneys for some of Tyndall’s alleged victims, who said they were being denied closure regarding his death after also being denied the chance to see him brought to trial.

Tyndall was found dead Oct. 4 in his Los Angeles condominium by a friend who had been unable to reach him. Tyndall was awaiting trial on sex-related charges involving patients who accused him of inappropriate behavior under the guise of medical exams.

Tyndall and his attorneys have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Tyndall was ordered Aug. 11 to stand trial on 18 felony counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person — charges that allege the women were “unconscious of the nature of the act” and that it served “no professional purpose” — along with nine felony counts of sexual battery by fraud.

The criminal complaint alleges that the crimes occurred between 2009 and 2016.

The women had gone to USC’s student health center for annual examinations or other treatment while Tyndall was working there.

Eight charges involving five other women were dismissed earlier because four of them opted not to proceed and one could not be contacted.

Attorney John Manly, who represents a number of alleged Tyndall victims, issued a statement last week blasting the decision not to perform an autopsy, saying authorities “refused to properly investigate his death” by quickly declaring it “natural causes.”

“This refusal to properly investigate Tyndall’s cause of death allows him to get away with his decades of horrific abuse, and leaves hundreds of women without answers,” Manly said.

One of Tyndall’s attorneys, Leonard Levine, told City News Service that his client “desperately wanted to go to trial and that’s where the issues of guilt or innocence should be resolved.” He said his client had planned to testify and “declare his innocence.”

Tyndall’s defense team will seek the dismissal of the case once a copy of his death certificate is available, Levine said.

Tyndall had been set to appear Friday at a hearing in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom. The defense had been planning to ask the judge then to lower Tyndall’s $1.3 million bail to $250,000 and to free him from electronic monitoring, given the dismissal of the eight charges involving five other women.

In March 2021, attorneys representing hundreds of women who claim they were sexually abused by Tyndall announced an $852 million settlement of lawsuits against USC, describing the resolution as the largest of its type ever against a university.

In January 2020, a federal judge in Los Angeles granted final approval of a $215 million class-action settlement between USC and some of the women who claim they were sexually abused by Tyndall.

The settlement provides all class members — about 17,000 former patients who received women’s health services from Tyndall — compensation of $2,500 and up. Patients who are willing to provide further details about their experience could be eligible for additional compensation up to $250,000.

Attorneys for some victims have argued that following an internal investigation of complaints against Tyndall in 2016, the university paid Tyndall a substantial financial settlement so he would quietly resign.

USC officials had repeatedly denied allegations of a cover-up relating to Tyndall and have said that in response to the scandal, new protocols were implemented at its student health center to ensure any complaints are investigated and resolved by appropriate university officials and authorities. The university also said it has hired female, board-certified physicians and introduced patient education materials about sensitive examinations.

After the March 2021 settlement, USC President Carol Folt released a statement in which she said, “I am deeply sorry for the pain experienced by these valued members of the USC community. We appreciate the courage of all who came forward and hope this much-needed resolution provides some relief to the women abused by George Tyndall.”

Tyndall surrendered his medical license in September 2019, according to records from the Medical Board of California.

​ Orange County Register